The Hero of Time
by Forgiveable
Summary: A retelling of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask as one story. See profile for details.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Before time began, before spirits and life existed there were the gods. The three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of courage created the land known as Hyrule.

Din, with her strong, flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru, with her wisdom, gave a spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced living beings to uphold the law. The three golden goddesses, with their work complete, departed for the heavens; the point where they left this world became the Triforce. The golden, sacred triangles became the basis for Hyrule's prosperity and the resting place of the sacred triangle became the Sacred Realm.

They left behind a sacred guardian to protect the Triforce. He formed Termina, creating four great spirits and uniting Hyrule into one land. As a final act, the guardian created a lesser god to watch over and protect the Sacred Realm. This lesser god would pass on the legend of the Triforce. With this final creation complete, the guardian sealed the Triforce and departed for the high heavens. In so doing, he sealed the Sacred Realm from the mortal realm.

Sheik, the lesser god, knew that even though the Triforce was pure, corruption was still possible. Therefore, Sheik created six other lesser gods and goddesses to guard the Sacred Realm with him. Sheik created one god or goddess to watch over and protect each region of the world.

One to watch over the forests and swamps, Deku, god of innocence.

One to watch over the waters, Jabu-Jabu, god of merriment.

One to watch over the land of Hyrule, Hylia, goddess of love. The golden goddesses directly blessed her. She was the daughter of the goddesses themselves.

One to watch over Termina, Faeria, goddess of magic.

One to watch over the western mountains, Kaepora Gaebora, god of light.

One to watch over the desert lands, Ganon, god of strength.

From Sheik came the Sheikah, a mysterious race of shadow-like beings. Sheik's creation was to serve and protect the three golden goddesses, so his children were dedicated to serving and protecting the Hylians.

From Deku came a race of small, plant-like children known as Scrubs.

From Jabu-Jabu came the fish-like race known as the Zora, a race whose purpose was to protect the waters of Hyrule.

From Hylia came the race created in the image of the goddesses, the Hylians.

From Kaepora Gaebora came the counterpart race to the Hylians, the Ikana.

From Faeria came a mysterious, magical race known as faeries.

From Ganon came a race of warrior-like women known as the Gerudo. Ganon held the greatest favour with the golden goddesses and therefore created his race in their likeness: females of beauty, power and grace.

Thus, the races of Hyrule were born.

Sheik knew that there were further steps necessary to protect the Triforce and the Sacred Realm. He called for a meeting of the lesser gods and goddesses at the entrance into the Sacred Realm itself. For it was here that they needed to build a fortress strong enough to turn back the tides of evil.

"Why hast thou called us, brother?" asked Deku.

"Much work is to be done to protect the Triforce," said Sheik.

"What do you speak of, exactly?" asked Faeria.

"We shall build a fortress to protect the Sacred Realm from evil," said Sheik.

"A fortress?" asked Jabu-Jabu.

"But why?" asked Hylia.

"Yes, brother, what is this evil you speak of?" asked Ganon. Sheik did not answer.

"Sheik, tell us what we must do," said Kaepora Gaebora.

"A strong fortress must be constructed to be the entrance into the Sacred Realm. It will connect the mortal realm with the spiritual plane," said Sheik.

"But a fortress alone won't be strong enough to hold back the forces of evil. I will construct a temple inside the Sacred Realm itself, a smaller fortress to protect the Triforce. It shall be a temple of light that no evil may enter," said Kaepora.

"Yes, but that is not all. We need another stronger thing to bind all mortals from the Sacred Realm," said Ganon.

"Shouldst we create a stronger race?" asked Deku.

"No, that is not the answer," said Sheik.

"We should combine our powers to create death," said Ganon.

"Death?" asked Faeria.

"Yes, death. It will bind all races of Hyrule," said Ganon.

"They won't be immortal as we?" asked Jabu-jabu.

"I think that this is the best way to protect the Sacred Realm and the Triforce within. We will also build a fortress untouched by time, sealed by time itself as a testament to this," said Sheik.

"I believe there are further steps that we can take," said Kaepora.

"And what would they be?" asked Hylia.

"Seven guardians to watch over the lands of Hyrule and protect the sacred temple; seven guardians to live in seven temples," said Kaepora. "We must choose one from each of our races to be these guardians."

"Yes, this is for the best. You shall lead these guardians; however, one from the race of Hylians will be the greatest of them all," said Sheik.

"My children are far too mischievous to hold such a responsibility," said Deku with downcast eyes.

"You can create another race," said Sheik.

"I shall! They shall share my innocence," said Deku.

"The only way for them to remain innocent is if they were mere children," said Ganon.

"Verily, thou hast spoken truth. I shall create the Kokiri. They shall live in the forest with me. None others shall be able to enter my enchanted forests and corrupt my children," said Deku.

"What about my race? My daughters aren't suitable to be one of these guardians," said Faeria.

"I will also create another race. They will live in Mother Din's two great mountains and shall have my strength. I will call them the Gorons. One of them will take your place, Faeria," said Ganon.

"I believe that these guardians should come of our races' royal lines," said Jabu-Jabu.

"Truly, this is a good idea," said Sheik.

"We will need to erect temples for these guardians," said Ganon.

"Yes, I will build a water temple," said Jabu-Jabu.

"You must choose a pure water source," said Kaepora.

"I will create a great lake in southern Hyrule. That is where the temple will be, where the Zora shall worship the water spirits," said Jabu-Jabu

"I will build a temple in the farthest desert so it will unreachable to the wicked. The guardian from the Gerudo shall be the matriarchs of the Gerudo, the twin sisters based after Mother Din's two great mountains," said Ganon.

"Very good," said Sheik, beginning to feel a measure of protection for the sacred triangle.

"I shall erect a temple hidden deep within the forest. The guardian shall come out of the Kokiri," said Deku.

"Since the Sheikah serve and protect the Hylians, none of them can be the guardian, for they must fulfill their duty. I shall be the guardian and will build a temple hidden to all except the royal family of Hyrule," said Sheik.

"I will build a temple in the Great Fire Mountain for the Gorons. Furthermore, I will create a great fire beast to guard the temple itself," said Ganon.

Therefore, it was that the gods built the seven great temples of Hyrule and chose the seven guardians.

"More must be done. It is necessary for the Hylians to access the Sacred Realm so that when evil rises they may strike it down," said Sheik.

"What about time? The Hylians are bound by it and must follow its flow," said Jabu-Jabu.

"A great hero is needed," said Faeria.

"A great hero whose blade is evil's bane. I will forge this blade, this sword. It shall be the greatest of all swords, a master sword that evil ones may never touch," said Ganon.

"That can be one of the keys to the Sacred Realm. Only this hero may touch that sword," said Kaepora.

"There will be one, great Hylian to be this hero," said Sheik.

"He will be the link between the gods and mortals," said Hylia.

"But there must be more than just a hero and a sword. Further keys are necessary to protect the Triforce from evil. The sword must be protected until that hero is needed," said Sheik.

"What about a great door? A magical door that can only be opened by the proper key," said Faeria.

"Yes and the key for that door can be three spiritual stones, each one representing an element," said Kaepora.

"One shall be hidden in the forest, for only the Kokiri may dwell there and cannot be corrupted," said Deku.

"There will also be one hidden with the Gorons in the Great Fire Mountain," said Ganon.

"One can be hidden with my children," said Jabu-Jabu.

"But these three stones are not the only thing. To activate the key to the door there must be something else," said Sheik.

"A magical item that only Hyrule's royal family may have," said Hylia.

"Yes, to activate the keys to open the door one must have this item in addition to the stones," said Kaepora.

"This is for the best. I will construct an altar in the great temple for these spiritual stones. Behind the altar will be the door and behind the door will stand the sword, waiting for the one meant to wield it. Only when all of these keys are gathered can the Sacred Realm be opened and the Triforce obtained," said Sheik.

"There remains one more question: Who is to be this great hero?" asked Ganon.

"And, who shall be the sage from the Hylians?" asked Deku.

"Hylia and I shall reproduce and our offspring will answer these questions," said Kaepora.

"Yes, twins will come from of my womb, one male and one female. The male child will become this great hero and the female will become the seventh sage, destined to be the greatest of them all," said Hylia.

"This is for the best. But these children must be Hylian, of the royal family, and not immortal as we," said Sheik.

"When the time is right we will send our children to Hyrule. They will be born of the royal family," said Hylia.

"So be it!" said Sheik.

"But, Sheik, we still do not know what evil we are fighting against. How will we know if it comes?" asked Ganon.

Sheik knew that by revealing to them the evil, its powerful grip could more easily corrupt them, especially the ones who were already powerful. Alas, he knew he must. The golden goddesses revealed the future to him and the events that must take place for the good of Hyrule.

"There is a fourth goddess. A goddess of chaos and destruction," said Sheik.

"So, this fourth goddess is evil," said Ganon.

"Yes and her name is Majora."

* * *

><p>Countless aeons passed after the construction of the temples and the appointing of the sages. The world was at peace. The Triforce caused the land of Hyrule to prosper and the inhabitants to flourish. They erected great cities and castles, living their lives mostly separate from each other. Because the peoples of Hyrule lived cut off from each other, they knew little about each other. As a result, each race wanted more territory and disputes would arise. The lesser gods and goddesses could not directly control the people of Hyrule so war was imminent.<p>

Deku's spirit settled in the mortal plane and inhabited a great tree, which towered over the every other tree in the world. The forest became a special barrier against the influence of evil into the world. To help Deku's children, Faeria's created a special kind of faerie to live with each of the Kokiri and only the Kokiri. It was to protect the Kokiri, the only innocent race in Hyrule. Therefore, it was that each Kokiri had his or her own guardian faerie. Even Deku's first children, the Scrubs, prospered and made their own kingdom in the swamps of eastern Hyrule.

Jabu-Jabu's spirit also settled in the mortal plane. He inhabited a great fish that dwarfed even the size of whales. The Zora protected Hyrule's water source and had some contact with the Hylian royal family. The Zora served Hyrule's royal family through protecting the water supply for the land, creating a fragile alliance between the two races.

Kaepora Gaebora became great in the eyes of the Hylians and Ikanans. His symbol, the owl, spread across the lands in statues dedicated to him.

Hylia was known as the mother of the Hylians and as an honour to her, they named the great southern lake after her.

Ganon became a great figure to the Gerudo and the Hylians. The Hylians favoured him and trained an elite fighting force of warriors whose heavy armour alone was too much for mere mortals to hold. The Gerudo adapted well to living in the desert and even found a way through the wasteland to Ganon's hidden temple. However, the twin sisters Koume and Kotake guarded the temple and forbade any Gerudo to enter its sacred walls.

The Sheikah only held ties with Hyrule's royal family, serving as guardians to the royal family. The Sheikah were a dark, mysterious people steeped in myth and lore. They knew much about the gods and the Triforce. Sheik did little with them after creating his children, but was content to live in the temple hidden near the village founded by the Sheikah.

Faeria lived happily. She was the only lesser god or goddess to directly appear to the people of Hyrule. Her daughters, known as great faeries, helped the people through magic. The lesser goddess of magic created other faeries that roamed freely throughout the land to aid Hylians whenever necessary. Faeria directly served and helped the Hylian royal family.

The guardians of the temples, the sages, also prospered. A great chamber for them rested inside the temple built by Kaepora, the Light Sage. He would remain the head sage until the seventh, great sage would come. Sheik was the Shadow Sage. Koume and Kotake together became Twinrova, the Spirit Sage. The Goron chosen to be the Fire Sage was the first king of the Goron who wielded a great hammer. The Zora chosen to be the Water Sage was yet to be born. She was destined to be the greatest leader of the Zora. The Forest Sage was chosen out of the Kokiri. Should something ever happen to one of the sages, they would be reincarnated in the next one destined to be a sage.

However, not everyone prospered.

Majora watched and waited in the darkness and chaos beyond the universe. Just when the people thought their lives were perfect, just when the gods thought they could rest, she would strike. The evil goddess would turn the sages to her side. She would corrupt the very thing that protected the Triforce. If Majora could lay her hands on that sacred triangle then she could destroy the golden goddesses and plunge reality into darkness and chaos, as it once had been.

The perfect time to strike was at hand. Majora appeared before the first sage, the Forest Sage.

"Who are you?" asked the sage.

"My name is Majora," said the evil goddess.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

"I have come to request your help," said Majora. The Forest Sage could feel the evil of the goddess and could sense something was terribly wrong.

"Help with what?"

"I am going to invade the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce."

"I won't help your evil plans," said the sage, bravely standing up to the evil goddess.

"If you won't help me by choice then I shall curse you. Now taste my wrath!" said Majora as tendrils of dark energy began to swim around, choking the air and violently shaking the temple.

"What is this?" asked the Forest Sage. He could feel the raw powers extending from the evil goddess.

Majora let out a psychotic laugh that shook the ground and suddenly began to change. Dark energy swarmed around Majora as she changed shape. She morphed and changed into a terrifying figure. The goddess was now much darker, so black that she became a void of light. Her red eyes pierced through the Forest Sage. The sage attempted to use his powers to call for help but it was useless. Majora's power was too much and the sage found himself swallowed up.

"You have called down Majora's Wrath. I curse you to live forever, wandering in this forest without any friends. You shall be shunned forever by the Kokiri!" said Majora.

The ground shook violently as black tendrils of energy snaked out from Majora and around the sage. He cried out but it was too late. Majora used her godly powers to transform the sage. No longer was he the Forest Sage. He became a hideous being, cursed to remain in the forest and forever wander. The evil goddess left the weak child alone in the deepest part of the forest.

Majora was furious. She thought for sure that the innocent Forest Sage would follow her by choice. Majora knew that she would have to set her eyes on a new target, someone older and wiser. She headed towards the temple in the desert. The beautiful twins felt her coming and could sense her evil before she even crossed the desert. They used their powers to let the lesser gods and goddesses know about Majora's presence in the mortal realm. Twinrova, and the other sages, felt when the Forest Sage died. Majora appeared in front of the two sisters.

"Majora," said Kotake.

"Why are you here?" asked Koume, already knowing the answer.

"Join me," said Majora as she extended a dark hand to the sisters.

"Never!" they replied in unison. Majora's red eyes flared.

"Then I curse you too. I strip away your youth and beauty. I curse you two to be witches, destined to live forever as wicked one trapped in this temple," said Majora, unleashing her wrath again.

Dark energy consumed Koume and Kotake and the Spirit Sage was no more. Majora left the two witches to themselves. Majora knew that the sages did not have the potential to be corrupt because they did not possess a lust for more power. Majora knew there was one who would desire more power. She appeared before him.

"Hello, Ganon."

"You are Majora, the evil goddess," said Ganon.

"Ganon, I have come to acquire your help. I am going to invade the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce. Join me, and together we shall rule all," said Majora.

Majora's evil, red eyes flashed as she tasted Ganon slip toward evil. The strength and power Ganon already possessed came with a deadly counterpart: pride.

"Finally, me strength and power can be used for my desires," said Ganon as Majora began to corrupt his power.

Ganon smiled wickedly and laughed with Majora. The evil goddess's plans were coming together. Together Majora and Ganon wiped away Jabu-Jabu's memory and power, Deku's memory and power and warped the mind of Twinrova.

"I cannot directly control my people but I can control the beast I created. Volvagia, the fire beast, I command you to kill the Gorons," said Ganon as he fell further into evil.

He warped the dragon's mind until evil consumed it. Volvagia left the volcano and attacked Goron City. Only the Fire Sage, the first king of the Gorons, could stand against Volvagia because the dragon ate the Gorons. Using his great hammer the Fire Sage killed Volvagia. However, in so doing, he died and the hammer was lost inside the temple. Thus, a third sage died and the Great Fire Mountain became known as Death Mountain.

"Enough!" a powerful voice rained down.

It belonged to the guardian. He appeared before Majora and Ganon. His and Majora's opposing powers were so immense that the mortal plane began to quake and reality began to bend.

"I was hoping you would show up," said Majora with a wicked grin, knowing the guardian had to be conquered for the Triforce to be obtained.

"Majora, your wickedness shall not spread any further," said the guardian

"It is too late, behold my son, Ganon," said the evil goddess. The guardian could feel the corruption and evil that now consumed Ganon.

"Ganon, for your folly you will be punished. My fight is with Majora," said the guardian.

He knew they could not fight directly. Not only was the guardian too weak compared to Majora but the wake of their power would consume everything and destroy the world the three goddesses created. Already, the peoples of the world began to fight because of the upset in power. Natural disaster began to spread across the world. The three goddesses finally intervened.

"Nayru, Farore and Din!" said Ganon in awe. He could feel their divine powers as the three golden goddesses descended from the highest heavens.

"Ganon, for your foolishness, you shall be punished for eternity. Your spirit will become a mere beast. We shall strip away your memory and power. You will not remember that you were once a god and you will suffer forever. Not until the right time will your spirit have a body and then you shall be destroyed for good," said the goddesses, exploding in a flash of divine power that consumed Ganon.

Majora and the guardian were alone. The universe began to groan as their powers pushed and pulled at each other.

"So, it is down to us," said Majora, her red eyes flashing. The guardian knew that there was only one way to stop Majora for good. Nevertheless, it was impossible until _he_ arrived.

"Majora, I shall banish you to dwell within a mask," said the guardian.

"Then you will be banishing yourself!" said Majora's Wrath. However, that was what the guardian knew must happen. By so doing, Majora would seal her own fate.

The two being exploded in a charge of power and were no more. In a flash of devastating, godly power, the two great beings bound each other within masks. The world shook and the skies cried with violent lighting and thunder. Sheik had a connection to the guardian and began to die when his father was bound to dwell within the mask. However, before he passed into the afterlife he created a special mask that could reveal the truth about the Triforce and the gods. He knew that one day his spirit and power would be reborn among the Sheikah.

Kaepora was too near the battle. He tried to help but his power was nothing before that of Majora. He died in the incredible release of power but not before he and Hylia created their children. The seventh sage and the great hero would be born in the mortal realm.

Time was now the key.

Nayru, Farore, and Din cried from the high heavens. Faeria was with them. The war of the gods devastated the world, leaving dead sages and gods in its wake. The three golden goddesses watched as Hyrule slowly consumed itself in war. Natural disasters spread across the world and animals twisted into horrible monsters.

"Mothers, I do not wish to go back," cried Faeria.

"So be it," said Nayru.

Faeria slowly faded into nothingness, her essence returning to its source. The lesser gods and goddesses were no more. All of the faeries, except the guardian faeries to the Kokiri, fled from men and began to hide underground. The original children of Faeria hid too, only showing themselves to members of Hyrule's royal family. The three golden goddesses returned to the highest heavens as the world fell.

"One thousand years shall pass before the next sages shall awaken. For only through the hero can they hear their call. When Ganon's spirit is revived in man, when it seems evil has won," said Farore.

"It will be one thousand years until the wars of mortals reach their climax," said Din.

"That is when Hyrule's greatest king shall rise up and unite the races," said Farore.

"When Hylia must die," said Nayru.

"She must die. The separation must come to pass," said Farore.

"One thousand years. They will forget much," said Farore, watching their land destroy itself in war.

"One thousand years," echoed her sisters.

"It is for the good of Hyrule," said Farore.

"For the good of Hyrule," echoed her sisters.


	2. Chapter I: The Beginning

**Chapter I: The Beginning**

Hyrule had long been at war with itself. A great war tore the world apart. Some said it started because of a war amongst the gods but it was only a myth that few believed. Every race, including the Deku, waged war against one another. The wars reached their climax when a huge fire engulfed Hyrule Field and destroyed everything in its path. It swept from the peaks of Death Mountain and Snowhead Mountain in the north to the banks of Lake Hylia and even further to the Great Bay in the south. Many lives were lost and very little survived the Great Fire and the Great War.

It was not until the day after the fire that the peoples of Hyrule realised that their useless fighting only created problems and did not solve them. The greatest leader of the land rose up and began to talk peace. He was the king of the Hylians. He united the lands and began to form alliances with other races, starting with the Zora. Again, they renewed their service by protecting Hyrule's waters. He then made a treaty with the Gorons of Death Mountain, accepting a Goron custom by becoming a sworn brother to their leader, Darunia. This showed the king of Hyrule was true to his word and wanted peace.

However, strange things happened during the wars. The Hylians mysteriously lost their elite fighting force known as Ironknuckles. For unknown reasons, near the beginning of the wars, they became a corrupted force and the king of that time refused to use or even train them. The skilled warriors betrayed the Hylians and all of Hyrule and eventually disappeared from the world. Some scholars claimed the hatred and bitterness of the warriors was enough to carry on into the afterlife.

Countless myths and theories formed during the war, some more outlandish than others. Stories of the victims of the war coming back as undead monsters were popular stories amongst children, mostly told to keep children from wandering off alone or at night. One such story involved the Forbidden Forest, claiming that anyone who entered the sacred place would die and return as a horrible creature.

Sometime near the beginning of the war, the land of Ikana destroyed itself in civil wars. The race disappeared long before the great wars of the other races. Only the Gerudo held ties with the Ikana and everything changed when the Ikana disappeared and their land became inaccessible. Ikana was just north of Gerudo Valley but the desert tribe never spoke of the cursed land or what happened. Many Hylian scholars believed strange, black magic was behind the events that unfolded in Ikana. Because the Ikana betrayed the Gerudo, the desert tribe cut themselves off from the rest of the world. Nevertheless, these things did not deter the king of Hyrule from his quest for peace. Not even a family tragedy would keep him from the goal of world peace.

On the night of the Great Fire, the queen went missing. She was with child and disappeared after she gave birth to a baby girl. However, the fires of war did not care about new life. The queen went missing, much to the sorrow of the king. He originally wanted to send her away from the castle because of the threat on their lives. He feared that his wife and child may be in danger. She hid in Kakariko Village, near the base of Death Mountain.

The queen gave birth to a girl and instructed her closest servant and bodyguard to take the baby back to the castle. Shortly after the woman left, the queen gave birth to a baby boy. Something within the queen's being told her that she had to take her second child away. Something gave her the strength and courage she needed. She knew of only one place that the flames of war would not reach.

The queen travelled all night to reach the forest. She knew the stories about the Forbidden Forest but she also knew a little known story about a great forest guardian. She knew that her newborn baby would not survive without care and knew that she had to find the guardian.

The queen was far too weak to make the journey safely and received wounds from the crossfire of battle but she protected her child and made her way into the forest. Near dawn, the dying woman found the forest guardian. It was almost easy for her to navigate through the forest, as if something guided her. She fell down before the mighty tree.

"I ... need you to ... guard my son," said the queen weakly. The guardian could sense her life draining away.

"Woman, thou art a Hylian," said the mighty forest guardian. "Only the Kokiri may live in this forest. It is forbidden for any other race to dwell here."

"Yes ... but please ... help me!" said the queen, gasping for breath.

"He hath no place amongst the Kokiri," said the forest guardian, knowing he could not ignore the laws of the world for one unimportant baby boy.

"Great Deku Tree ... I'm dying. He won't ... survive ..."

The queen's words were quiet and slow. She was nearly dead. The forest guardian focused on the baby in the woman's arms. He realised that there was something very special about this Hylian baby boy. He could sense something great within the child and realised it must be the child of legend.

"Woman, I shall accept the babe," said the forest guardian after a moment to ponder.

"Thank you. Farewell ... my sweet ... baby ... boy ..." said the queen hugging the child to her breast.

With her last breath, the queen kissed her son on the forehead and died. The child clung to his mother crying. The forest guardian watched as the baby struggled to hang onto its fragile life. Somehow, the guardian could sense that the baby knew its mother was dead. The body of the queen slumped over onto the ground with the child still in her arms. The baby's crying subsided as it grew weak and his life began to ebb away.

"Surely, thou art the child of prophecy. Goddesses, bless now the lad for his life doth wane. Surely, this brave woman's journey hath not been in vain," said the forest guardian, calling out to every life force he could.

Suddenly, a bright light began to fall from the sky. It seemed the golden goddesses heard his prayer and were going to answer it. The light faded upon reaching the ground and only a beautiful, young woman remained.

"Hast thou been sent by the goddesses?" asked the forest guardian, sensing a strange and immense power from the woman.

The young woman nodded and stooped down to pick up the dying baby. The woman had gorgeous blonde hair and deep, blue eyes. She looked down at the baby boy with compassion and love in her eyes.

"So, this is my great son?" said the woman with a smile.

The baby stopped crying and snuggled in close to the woman. She began to hum a beautiful melody and began to glow. Pure, white energy surrounded the two and particles of light began to swim around the baby. The woman stood, hugging the baby for some time, letting the light wash over the boy as she hummed.

"Who art thou?" asked the forest guardian as the woman knelt down. The guardian sensed that the woman gave her life force to the baby. He would live and she would die.

"My name is Hylia, lesser goddess of love," said the young woman with a weak whisper.

For the second time that day, a dying woman held the child. The forest guardian suddenly sensed a great power in the baby, a power greater than even his own. Hylia began to fade as she placed the boy down on the soft grass. He no longer cried and seemed to have aged at least a year.

"What shall I do with the lad?" asked the forest guardian.

"This is the time that the next generation of Kokiri is born. Hide him with them for evil will seek the child's life," said Hylia, closing her eyes.

"What shall his name be called?"

"He is the link between gods and mortals," said Hylia with her dying breath.

The forest guardian watched as the young woman fell. She faded away, taking the body of the other woman with her. The guardian regarded the baby squirm on the ground for a moment.

"So, young one, thou shalt be Link."

* * *

><p>Whilst the queen gave her life to ensure her baby boy's would remain, the king was overjoyed to find out that his bride had given birth before leaving. One of his wife's attendants brought him a baby girl. The king danced around and shouted for joy but upon asking about the queen fell silent in discovering she left. There was no way she could survive. The sun began to peak over the horizon.<p>

"She said that you are to call your daughter Zelda," said the servant woman.

The king nodded with a heavy sigh. He sat on a chair with his head between his hands, his elbows rested on his knees. His heart was broken. He did not have his wife.

"Sir, will you continue with the peace talks as planned?" asked the servant woman as she held the sleeping baby girl.

"Yes, may the gods bless my wife," said the king after several moments of silence. The servant woman saw tears falling from the king's eyes.

"Sire, about the baby …"

"She will need nursed. She will need someone to mother her. Please watch over her and protect her as you did my wife," said the king, standing and wiping his eyes.

"It is my sworn duty as a Sheikah," said the woman bowing her head. "I shall protect her with my life."

"Thank you, Impa," said the king with a slight smile as he looked at his daughter. "I must now prepare."

"Yes, my lord," said Impa, bowing and walking off with the child in her arms. She headed to a private room and sat down with the baby girl, who awoke and began to cry.

"Zelda, I feel something inside you. Great things are in store for you," said Impa as she nursed the baby girl, humming one of the royal family's melodies. The melody seemed to soothe young Zelda.

The greatest leader of the land rose up and began to talk peace. He was king of the Hylians, king of all Hyrule. He united the lands and began to form alliances with other races, starting with the Zora and Gorons. Representatives from the three races converged on the town that was in the assumed centre of the world, Clock Town.

Peace at last.

However, it would be ten years until all of the lands would finally sue for peace. The Gerudo would be the last ones to come to the king. The new Gerudo King, Ganondorf, was not an easy man and he did not like the Hylians. Moreover, the Gerudo held their own myths about the world and as a race distrusted the other peoples of Hyrule. A large canyon separated their land from the rest of Hyrule and they set a heavy guard on the only bridge spanning that canyon.

However, not every kingdom would join in the peace. The Deku stopped fighting and retreated to their homes in the swamps of eastern Hyrule. They distrusted the rest of the world, taking too much pride in their own abilities. They severed contact with the rest of Hyrule many years prior and most believed the race simply past away. It would be years before one boy would finally make contact with them.

**Ten years later**

"Blah blah blah ..." was not what the man was really saying but it was all Princess Zelda heard. The young princess sat under one of her tutors. She was bored and sat, staring out the window. They sat in one of the many castle rooms used for such lessons. She had been troubled recently and was looking out the window towards the southwest, towards the Forbidden Forest.

Princess Zelda was nearing her eleventh birthday and was growing like a weed. Her long, blonde hair was so beautiful that it could even put the sun to shame and her sparkling, blue eyes were so deep that you could almost get lost in them. Many said that Zelda was the very image of the goddess Hylia, as if she was the goddess's daughter.

"Excuse me, sir, but the king wishes to speak with his daughter," said a woman.

Zelda gave a sigh of relief that she could finally speak to her father. The princess had been having strange dreams and she wanted to talk to her father about them. Princess Zelda had the gift of amazing wisdom and some believed her dreams were actually prophecies.

"Okay, we're done for the day, Princess," said the man with a smile and a nod.

Zelda told everyone she could about her most recent dream but no one believed it. Hyrule had entered its tenth year of peace and prosperity and the final kingdoms were ready to sign the peace treaties and trade agreements.

"Impa," said Zelda with a smile as the tutor left the room.

Her attendant was away for several days to check in on the town she was born and raised in. The town was at the base of Death Mountain and served as a passageway between the Hylians and the Gorons of Death Mountain. It was originally a Sheikah village but since the shadow race mysteriously disappeared, Hylians moved into the town.

"Come with me, Princess. Your father is waiting," said the Sheikah woman, one of the only people who believe Zelda's dreams were prophecies.

* * *

><p>"Ha ha ... I'm sorry, Zelda. I don't mean to laugh but Hyrule is not in any danger," said the king. He could see how serious Zelda was and quelled his laughter.<p>

The young princess revealed her dream to her father who listened intently at first. The king knew there was something special about his daughter and something even more special about her dreams. However, when she tried to explain the meaning behind the dream the king stopped her.

"But, father, I know that this dream is a prophecy," said Princess Zelda.

"Zelda just because you saw some clouds and flashing green light does not mean that bad things are going to happen," said the king calmly.

"Father, unless this man with the fairy and green stone comes I think, no, I know that Hyrule is doomed," said Zelda. The king sighed.

"Listen, you cannot go around the castle spreading rumours that Hyrule is doomed. In a few days, we have very important people from the kingdom of the Gerudo coming to make peace. Besides, whoever heard of fairies following people around?"

"Father, I read in the library about the forest children. _They_ are supposed to have fairy friends. Please, won't you listen to me?" said Zelda and tried to give her father the most pleading eyes that she could muster. It did not work.

"No, Zelda. I do not and cannot believe it. We're too close to world peace for things to go wrong."

"But-" Zelda tried to reply but her father began to lose his patience.

"Zelda, there will be no more talk of green lights, dark clouds or the doom of Hyrule. Do you understand me?" said the king a little forcefully. Zelda hung her head and nodded.

Impa led her away as servants brought in more papers for the king to look over. Their allies, the Gorons of Death Mountain, were having trouble and needed help. Impa took Princess Zelda to her favourite spot in the castle: a secret courtyard. There was a window in the courtyard that led into the throne room and the young heir would often watch her father work from there.

"Impa, I know that he will come. You must teach him my lullaby," said Zelda after the two stood in the courtyard for some time.

"But, Zelda, you know that is a family melody. It is forbidden for anyone outside of the royal family to learn it," said Impa.

"Somehow, I have a feeling that there's more to him then we'll ever know," said the princess with a sigh as she looked into the sky.

Impa watched her charge for several minutes. Zelda had always been a carefree child who rarely worried. It was only after she began having the most recent dreams that she took on a serious nature. The young princess spent a lot of her free time in the library reading myths and legends. She also seemed to take an interest in world maps. Impa had never seen her look so grim. She determined to help any way she could.

"Don't stay up late," said the nursemaid after several minutes of silence.

Zelda nodded with a smile as Impa headed away to attend to other business. She knew that the princess would be safe because only the two of them knew where the courtyard was and how to get to it.

"I know you're going to come," said Zelda, continuing to look into the sky.

* * *

><p><em>A flash of lightning... a clap of thunder... the roar of the wind... sounds of a monstrous storm building...<em>

_He did not know where he was or how he had gotten there. Darkness surrounded him. Thick fog covered everything. He _realised_ a presence behind him. As quickly as he could, he turned around. There was a mammoth building standing there, just visible through the fog. The giant stone monolith stretched off to the sides as far as he could see and reache__d high into the heavens. He was __confused. He had no idea what this object was or why it was there. He _realised_ that there was a deep trench before the building filled with water. He stood__,__ staring in awe at it for what seemed like __an eternity__. Suddenly, there was a light hovering near his shoulder. It could only be one thing._

_A__ faerie__._

_He could not believe it. He had a__ faerie. His dream had come true.__ He was finally a real __Kokiri__with__ his own faerie partner. The small faerie simply hovered around his head. The fog slowly began to lift but ominous clouds remained as the storm continued to build. He looked around him in the dim light. Before him stood the large, stone structure and behind him was a vast field. He looked all around. He could not figure out where he was but he knew he was not in the forest anymore. A strange sound filled the air. The rain began to fall, the thunder raged, the __lightning tore through the skies. However, the storm was not what got his attention. The strange sound that filled the air was a creaking and groaning of wood. He looked around in a hurry, trying to find what it was. He noticed a large, wooden bridge beginning to come down. _

_He watched as the bridge fell down across the watery trench with a loud bang. He noticed something coming out of the shadows behind the wall. He realised he heard a sound coming from the shadows. It sounded almost like thunder. It was as if some great beast was running at an incredible rate. He squinted hard to try to see what this wonder could be but he could not make it out. Suddenly, a shape exploded out of the shadows. It was a great, white animal with two people seated on it. One was obviously a child but the other was much larger. Both of them were female and from the look on their faces, he could tell something was drastically wrong. As he stood trying to figure things out the beast ran straight at him. Only by diving to the side could he avoid certain death. As the animal ran passed him and carried its two passengers away he looked into the face of the child. He felt as if he knew her, as if they had met before. She looked at him with an expression of desperation._

_He stood and watched them ride away over a hill and into the fog. He tried to guess what was happening when another sound rang out. A great snort came from behind him that caused his spine to tingle. He slowly turned, fearing that he would come face-to-face with some monster. He was right. Standing close was another one of those animals. This one was larger, black and ominous. It had evil, red eyes that pierced through him. He froze in terror, not because of the beast but because of something far worse. It was the huge rider of the beast, another tall figure describable by one word._

_Evil._

_The man had dark, red hair and eyes. He wore black armour and a flowing, red cape. Even the thunder and lightning seemed to fear this man. He sat on his horse staring into the distance as if he could see through the fog. His black beast rose up and gave a great cry. The man seated on the animal did not fall off. The man suddenly turned his head and stared down at him. He felt even more fear. He felt as if his very soul was tearing apart. The look in the man's eyes was terrifying. The man gave a wicked smile and raised his hand toward him. He felt his breath escape as another flash of lightning and another crack of thunder roared through the sky._

He sat up in his bed with an explosive breath as these images bounced around in his head. He felt sweat coming down his brow and he shivered some, even though it was not cold. He sighed deeply. He had been having this same nightmare for several days now. He did not know what it was or what it meant. He sighed again and looked out the window. It was a warm night but he felt extremely cold. Something was wrong but he could not figure out what it was. His birthday was in a few days. He would be eleven soon, the age the Kokiri stopped growing. He rubbed his eyes and pulled his blanket up over him as he lay back down. He had been getting very few hours of sleep because of these nightmares and he wondered how long it would continue. He fell into a fitful sleep, not knowing what was happening so close to his house.

* * *

><p>Nighttime.<p>

It was the perfect chance for him to strike. The Gorons would not give in and neither would the Zora but he was sure he could convince the forest guardian to give him what he was after. It was only a few days until his meeting with the king of Hyrule and he needed all three of the stones before his plan could work. He smiled to himself as he approached the great forest guardian.

"Hear me!" he called out. He had no fear of waking the Kokiri. The tree remained silent for a moment.

"Who art thou and why hast thou entered this sacred forest?" asked the guardian.

"Give me the spiritual stone and I will spare your life."

"Evil shall never lay hands upon this stone. I sense thy evil," said the forest guardian. The man in black spat on the ground and pulled something from behind his back.

"Then I will take your life," said the man with a deep, sinister voice.

He released whatever he held. It fell from his hand and began to move toward the forest guardian. It was a small, spider-like creature. When it reached the base of the forest guardian, it bore into the trunk.

"What hast thou done?" asked the guardian as he immediately began to feel his power draining. The man smiled a wicked smile as the sun slowly began to climb.

"I'm going to curse you. I'll only lift the curse if you give me the stone," said the man

He made several gestures with his hands as he muttered arcane words. After several moments, a ball of dark energy exploded from his hands and slammed into the forest guardian. The great tree tried to protect himself but the spider-like creature already sapped his power enough for the curse to take effect. The forest guardian felt the evil energies tearing through his being. The man in black smiled as the brown bark of the tree began to turn grey. The tree began to wither.

"You can give the stone to my servant who is currently eating away at your insides. If you don't give up the stone then you'll be dead by tonight," said the man with a casual tone.

The forest guardian remained silent. His deep roots throbbed. He knew who this man was and he knew that it was time. The prophecies were unfolding and the legend was beginning. The man turned and walked away without another word.

"So, my time hath passed," said the guardian as a single, tear-like drop of water fell from one of the forest guardian's huge eyes. "Good-bye my children."

Silence filled the meadow for several moments before the deep groan of wood echoed in the stillness of the morning. The great tree used the last of his power to send out a message using his powers.

"Navi ... where art thou? Come hither ..."

* * *

><p>He had to admit, it was hard to become an owl but Kaepora Gaebora adjusted well over the years. He freely roamed over Hyrule watching and waiting for the time when his son would begin his journey. This was why he was an owl. The golden goddesses blessed him so he reincarnated as an owl. When the time would come, he would help his son to become the legendary hero he was destined to be. The sun was beginning to come up and Kaepora was about to head home from hunting when he heard and saw something strange. A man, wearing black armour and riding a black horse, came out of the forest. He knew this could only mean one thing.<p>

It was time.

Ganon's spirit had been reborn into the new king of the Gerudo. That man was pure evil and sought only the Triforce so he could rule the world. Kaepora remembered everything that happened. He knew that not only Ganon had returned but also Majora's Mask was about to be unleashed upon the world. He found it strange that not even the golden goddesses could defeat Majora. Only one had the power, wisdom, and courage to do so. Only Kaepora Gaebora's son could control the power of the gods and strike down evil. The owl's eyes swivelled around as he saw the incarnation of evil head off. Suddenly, a great wave of energy swept out from the forest. A great light, seen only by those sensitive to the spiritual plane, expanded out from where the forest guardian resided. Kaepora felt as everything gave a great heave.

The barrier had come down.

Kaepora watched as the man galloped toward Hyrule Castle. The old owl knew that his son would begin his journey soon. He also knew that his daughter would begin hers. He flew towards the castle. He had to check on her to make sure she had the ocarina. He knew time was short so he flew as fast as he could. He had to check on his daughter before returning at the appointed time to meet his son.

This was the beginning of everything.


	3. Chapter II: A Guardian's Call

**Chapter II: A Guardian's Call**

_Scrape ... scrape ... _

She heard a strange sound. Someone was cutting wood or something. She frowned and went back to her work.

_Scrape ... scrape ... _

There it was again. She frowned but would not have taken another thought about it except …

_Scrape ... scrape... _

A third time was too much. Saria got up from her sewing and headed towards her door. Her only neighbours were the twins and Link. She knew the twins were probably out doing something with the other Kokiri so it had to be Link. She stepped out of her door and into the setting sun. The green-haired girl turned to her left and saw something strange. Link sat on the ground doing something to the base of his tree house. He was different from all of the other Kokiri. Link was always different.

All Kokiri were born with green eyes, to match the forest. Link had deep, blue eyes that gave the feel you could get lost in them if you stared long enough. Link's ears were slightly longer than the other Kokiri too. He was also afraid of heights; no Kokiri was ever afraid of heights. Link's house was even different. Because the young, blonde-haired boy was so terrified of heights, Mido made him live in the only tree house that did not have a ground floor. However, this was not what separated Link from the other Kokiri. One, simple thing made him an outcast and a loner. It was not what Link had. It was what he did not have.

Almost as long as time itself, one thing remained true in the world: every Kokiri had his or her own guardian faerie. Link did not have one. It was a shock to everyone in Kokiri Forest. No one could figure it out. Link did not have a guardian faerie. Every normal Kokiri received a guardian faerie from the Great Deku Tree within the first five years of his or her life. Nevertheless, Link did not have one and he was almost eleven.

Saria sighed to herself. Link was so different from her and her friends. She just could not put her finger on it but there was something different about Link, something drastically different. It was almost as if he belonged somewhere else, somewhere far away from the forest. Saria sighed again and began to walk to Link's house. She could clearly see the young boy was scratching something into the base of his tree. She walked up behind him and smiled to herself.

"Link, what are you doing?" asked Saria as she stood akimbo and watched.

"It's a long story. Besides, you'll laugh," said Link before wiping his brow. Apparently, he was finished.

"No, I won't. What is it?" asked Saria as she stooped down next to Link.

"This is a monster," said Link with a frown as he pointed to the figure on the right.

"Okay, what's that?" asked Saria, indicating the smaller figure on the left. Link sighed and stared at the figure for some moments before responding.

"It's me," said forest boy. Saria simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Link.

"What are you doing?" asked the green-haired girl with a smile.

"See? I told you you'd laugh," said Link, standing up and dropping his tool on the ground. Saria shook her head.

"Well, then if it's you then something is missing," said the girl before picking up the tool and scraping out some more wood. Link watched in horror.

"What are you doing? You've ruined it," said Link. Saria stood up.

"No, I didn't. You need a faerie," said Saria indicating a small dot she drew above Link. Link stared agape at his friend causing her to giggle.

"That's not right though," said Link. He sat down again on a rock. Saria stopped giggling and looked at Link in wonder.

"What do you mean?" she asked tilting her head to one side.

"I mean I saw that in a dream. I was fighting some giant monster and I did not have a faerie," said Link with a serious frown. Saria looked back at the drawing and then back at Link.

"Well, maybe your dream was wrong."

"What? I'm never going to have a faerie," said Link.

"Hey now, don't worry. A faerie will come to you."

"It should have come years ago," said Link as he began to climb his ladder.

"Link, I have a feeling something is going to happen soon. You will get a faerie," said Saria as she watched Link retreat into his house.

Saria noticed Link seemed to be tired. Something seemed amiss with the boy. His normal vigour and happiness seemed to be fading. Saria did not know what was wrong but something seemed to be weighing on his mind.

"Saria, I have a feeling something is going to soon too," said Saria's faerie.

"Are you worried?"

"I am your guardian faerie, after all," said the glowing ball of light. Saria smiled and began to walk up the slope back to her house.

"It'll be okay."

Kokiri forest began to fall asleep. No one had any idea of the evil that was so close. Evil that stood, watching and waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

Nighttime had come.

* * *

><p>"In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule ..." said a powerful voice inside her head.<p>

The young faerie opened her eyes and stretched her wings, roused from her sleep. She felt something powerful calling out to her. She was a simple faerie of the Lost Woods. She was no different from the countless other faeries of her group. She was not special or unique and lived her days no different from the others. But today was different.

"Long have I served as the guardian spirit ... I am known as the Deku Tree ..." continued the voice.

The faerie flew out of her fountain and into the waxing morning light. She looked around with a confused expression, unsure if she was still dreaming. No one was present. However, the voice continued.

"The children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian faerie."

She knew about the Kokiri. She had often seen the forest children exploring the Lost Woods. One girl in particular seemed to explore the most.

"However, there is one boy who does not have a faerie ..."

"Great Deku Tree where are you?" asked the faerie.

She had not explored the forest as much as she would have liked and did not know where Kokiri Forest was. Suddenly, the voice boomed inside her head.

"Navi ... Navi, where art thou? Come hither ..."

Suddenly, she knew exactly where to go, as if something were guiding her there. As the sun began to climb the horizon, the faerie flew as fast as she could towards Kokiri Forest. By the time the sun was halfway up she found her way to the Great Deku Tree. Before her was the mighty forest guardian and she simply hovered in front of the tree, waiting for him to continue.

"Oh, Navi the faerie ... listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree. Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm ..."

Navi heard the voice both inside her head and with her ears at the same time. She did notice that strange things were happening to the forest. The faerie nodded.

"Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule ..."

Navi was shocked. She had been outside of the forest before. The world seemed fine but then there was that overwhelming feeling of dread that hung in the air like a thick fog. Navi realised that it felt like the forest was losing its magical potency. Something was wrong.

"For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world ..."

Navi could sense that something was drastically wrong with the Great Deku Tree.

"But ... before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing ... It seems the time has come for the boy without a faerie to begin his journey ... The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth … Navi ... go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me ... I do not have much time left."

The small faerie stared in shock. She realised what was happening. She realised the barrier was gone. She realised the Great Deku Tree was dying.

"Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world depends upon thee!"

The faerie sped away. She did not need prompting twice. She flew as fast she could down the narrow channel between the Great Deku Tree's meadow and the rest of Kokiri Forest. She sped passed a boy sitting near the opening on the other side of the passage. He was not the one. He had a faerie.

Navi flew out into the rising sunlight. She looked around Kokiri Forest. She noticed someone sitting on the red-roof of Kokiri Forest's store. She sped over. A girl sat on the roof. She smiled and waved to Navi.

"Hello," said Navi before speeding away towards a nearby house. She saw a boy doing something with the stones there. She could not see a faerie so Navi called out.

"Hey!"

However, as she spoke one appeared beside the boy. He was not the one either. Navi began to be discouraged. She noticed a girl watching her.

"Do you know where I can find the boy without a faerie?" asked Navi as she flew towards the girl.

"You mean Link? Yes, he lives over there," said the girl, pointing towards a tall tree house and giggling. Navi sped towards it.

_SMACK!_

She flew headlong into a wooden fence. She shook her head a few times to clear it. She would have to be more careful. Navi flew through one of the holes in the fence and straight into Link's house. The faerie was shocked at what she saw.

Instead of a childish establishment, as she expected, she saw almost the opposite. This boy was different from the others. On one wall he had a schedule, near one wall was a variety of gardening tools, and sitting neatly on the table was a bowl of fruit.

Navi looked at the bed and saw a sleeping boy. It was half past mid-morning and he was still asleep. The blue faerie noticed his sheets and pillow were lying here and there, as if he threw them. She looked at the boy as he lay in his bed, fidgeting. It seemed like he was having some kind of nightmare. Navi flew over to him.

"Hello, Link! Wake up! The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!"

The boy simply thrashed about some on his bed. Navi became impatient. The Deku Tree was dying and all this lazy boy could do was sleep.

"Link, get up!"

Link mumbled something and opened an eye. He stayed awake for a few seconds before mumbling something else and going back to sleep.

"Hey! Come on! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?" said Navi as she began to fly up and down, trying to get the blond-haired boy's attention.

* * *

><p><em>Something was different. Surrounding him was darkness so black that he could feel it closing in on him. He rubbed his eyes but it did not help. He turned all around but could not see anyth<em>_ing. Suddenly, he heard __a dark, sinister __laugh__. __It__ sent chills down his spine. This was worse than the man in black. He heard something behind him and turned. Link's heart stopped at what he saw._

_Glowing, red eyes __stared at him, piercing straight through him__. Something began to form around the eyes. A hideous face took shape. A dark, purple face spread out around the red eyes. It was grotesque with strange points and angles that should be impossible on a normal face. The eyes flashed. _

_He watched in horror as the face began to move closer. He noticed that it was a mask rather then a face. There was something utterly terrifying about the mask. It struck more fear __into him that the man in black. He fell down on the ground and closed his eyes, trying to hide._ _He could feel the mask was there, watching him with those burning eyes, slowly moving closer. It was about to devour him. As he covered his face with his hands, he realised there was something in his hand._

"Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"

Link startled back into the waking world. Link groaned and opened his eyes. He looked around. There was no one else in his house. Link sighed and prepared to go back to sleep.

"You finally woke up! I'm Navi the faerie!" said a small, female voice. Link was suddenly wide-awake. He sat up and noticed a floating ball of blue light.

"Mido put you up to this, didn't he?" asked Link, narrowing his eyes. She huffed at him.

"I don't know any Mido!" said the faerie rather curtly.

Link frowned at her and waved her off before preparing to try to sleep again. Navi had to think of something, anything, to get Link to follow her. She came up with a lie.

"The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on! Nice to meet you!"

Navi could not believe what happened next. Link jumped out of bed. A huge smile swept across his face and he let out a laugh.

"Ha! I have a faerie guardian!" said Link as he began to get dressed.

"The Great Deku Tree has summoned you! So, let's get going right now!" said Navi, still amazed by the fact that Link believed her right away.

Link looked excited when he heard that news. He did a strange dance as he whooped in joy. Navi was a little shocked to see the youth so agile.

"Great! Let's go!" said Link as he grabbed a piece of fruit and rushed out the door.

"Hey! Wait for me!" said Navi before speeding outside after Link.

* * *

><p>Saria stepped out of her house. The warm sunlight flooded down over her. She breathed in the crisp air of the new day. However, something was amiss. Somewhere, something was wrong. The young green-haired girl could not figure out what it was. There was an unexplainable feeling of dread hanging about but the other Kokiri did not seem to notice it. She frowned and turned to see Mido standing in front of the passage leading to the Great Deku Tree. He was peering down the passage as if expecting to see something. She was about to walk over and ask what he was doing when she heard a loud laugh come from Link's house. The young girl headed towards Link's house, curious. She looked up at the house as Link stepped into the sunlight.<p>

"Yahoo! Hi, Link!" called Saria. Link looked down at her as Navi flew out of the tree house.

"Hi, Saria, I'll be right down," said Link as he began to slowly descend his ladder. He always took his time to climb down the ladder because he was afraid of heights. Navi simply floated down beside him.

"Come on, hurry up!" she urged.

"Wow! A faerie! Finally, a faerie came to you, Link!" said Saria, noticing the ball of blue light accompanying Link.

"I know! I can't believe it!" said Link with a smile.

"Wow, that's great news! I'm so happy for you! Now you're a true Kokiri, Link!" said Saria as she giggled.

"Link, let's go! The Great Deku Tree is waiting!" urged Navi as Link finally reached the ground.

"Is that right? The Great Deku Tree has summoned you? It's quite an honour to talk to the Great Deku Tree!" said Saria, smiling broadly.

"Come on Link!" urged Navi.

"I'll wait for you here. Get going! Go see the Great Deku Tree!" said Saria, pushing Link towards the passage that led to the Great Deku Tree.

Link began to walk through Kokiri Forest towards the forest guardian as he ate his fruit. Link smiled but Navi was jumpy as she looked around at the other Kokiri. It was only a matter of time before they felt the Great Deku Tree dying.

"Come on," said Navi, flying in front of Link as if to lead the way.

"I am," said Link.

"Run," said Navi with a glare. Link was taken aback. _Aren't guardi__an faeries supposed to be nice,_ he wondered but set into a steady jog. Link noticed a certain boy standing at the entrance to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow.

"Hey, you, Mister No Faerie, what's your business with the Great Deku Tree?" asked Mido. He stood akimbo in the middle of the entranceway. Something about him seemed off. He seemed concerned about something.

"I-" began Link. Mido cut him off.

"Without a faerie you're not even a real man!"

"Are you blind? I'm right here!" said Navi as she made sure to fly into Mido's view. The freckled boy seemed surprised as he looked up at Navi.

"Yeah and I've been summoned by the Deku Tree," said Link with a smile. Mido's face twisted into a look of disbelief and horror.

"What? You've got a faerie? Say what? You've actually been summoned by the Great Deku Tree?"

"That's right."

"What? Why would he summon you and not the great Mido?" asked Mido, glancing back into the passageway.

"Hurry up, Link," said Navi.

"This isn't funny," said Mido, waving his arms and tapping his foot rapidly.

"It's not a joke," said Navi with a frustrated tone. Mido looked away.

"I don't believe it," said Mido finally.

"What?" Navi and Link shouted in unison.

"Besides, you aren't even fully equipped yet. How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree without some equipment?" asked Mido.

"What?" asked Link with a frown.

"You don't have any either," said Navi.

"What? You're right; I don't have my equipment ready but ..." Mido trailed off glancing back at the passageway yet again. Link groaned.

"Come on, Mido, let me through," said Link.

"If you want to pass through here, you're going to need something to protect yourself. Sheesh!" said Mido, still tapping his foot. He looked away, waiting for Link to leave. Link stood for a moment before turning and walking away.

"Hey! What are you doing?" asked Navi. Link sighed in defeat.

"Mido won't let me through and there's no way I can get a sword," said Link.

"He didn't say anything about a sword," said Navi with a frown.

"But he will. If I can get a shield he'll just say I need a sword too," said Link as he shook his head. "And he knows I can't get one."

"Why not?" asked Navi as she raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know much about the Kokiri do you?"

"Well, no," said Navi after a brief pause. In that moment, the back of Link's mind confirmed a truth but he did not want to believe it.

"Some time ago the Kokiri managed to forge a sword. However, there was an accident and one of the Kokiri died. Because of that, swords are not allowed in Kokiri Forest. No one knows what happened to the Kokiri Sword."

"So what are you doing?" asked Navi as she followed Link back towards his house.

"Saria will know what to do," said Link with a smile as he saw his friend. Saria was bending over to examine Link's carving from the previous day. Link frowned.

"Hi, Saria," said Link.

"Why are you back so soon?" asked Saria as she spun around and looked at Link with a surprised expression.

"Guess," said Link as he cast a quick glance towards where Mido stood.

"What? Mido won't let you go to see the Great Deku Tree?" asked Saria.

"No," Link replied.

"Oh that bum! I don't know why he's always so mean to everyone," said the girl. She felt especially sorry for Link who was usually at the end of Mido's cruelty.

"He said something about being able to protect myself," said Link with a frown.

"What he said is true though," said Saria with a heavy sigh.

"Huh?" asked Link with a confused expression.

"The forest ... something strange happened," said Saria. "It feels like something bad. You'll need to be ready for anything. You should go get some rupees from the Know-It-Alls and rent a shield."

"Okay, thanks, Saria," said Link after a pause.

He found it strange that Saria seemed to notice that something was amiss but he did not press the matter. Saria smiled and watched Link walk off. Once he was out of sight, her brow knit together in an obvious expression of worry. She turned to the carving again and stared at it. Her faerie settled down on her shoulder to look at the carving too. Saria sighed and headed towards her house, somehow knowing she found it only to give it to Link.

"What are you doing?" asked Navi when she noticed Link walking in the opposite direction of the Deku Tree.

"We're heading to the training ground. The Know-It-All Brothers give away rupees for doing certain things there. I can rent a shield from the shop and Mido will have to let me through since I can't get a sword," said Link.

None of the Kokiri knew where the Know-It-All Brothers got their rupees but the eldest brother hinted that the Deku Tree got them from somewhere outside forest. It also explained where the town shop got its rupees and the supplies that were unavailable in the forest. The forest shop sold most of the things the Kokiri could not make or grow themselves. Being children, they valued activity and enjoyed playing games. As such, the Know-It-All Brothers gave out the rupees to ensure that the Kokiri would stay fit. The children would spend them in the shop on items of amusement or new tools for their gardens. Sometimes, they exchanged them as gifts.

"Uh, hi," said a boy as Link and Navi crested a small hill and entered a small, fenced-in area. The boy seemed surprised to see Link.

"Hi," said Link with an embarrassed cough. Navi raised her eyebrow, wondering if this was Link's first time at the training ground.

"What do you want?" asked the boy, sounding harsher than he intended. Link rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I was hoping to get some rupees."

"Oh, I see," said the boy. It was obvious to Navi already that the other Kokiri did not like or understand Link.

"I guess we practice?" asked Link, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was.

"Okay but do you know how this works?" asked the boy with a slight frown. Link nodded.

"Saria told me about it. I can do dodges for rupees," said Link.

"That's one thing we do, yes," said the boy as the uneasiness of the situation began to subside.

"What's the most I can get?" asked Link after a moment of silence.

"The advanced set can get you a blue rupee if you don't get hit," said the boy as he eyed Link with scepticism.

"Okay, let's do that then, please," said Link with a slight nod.

"Are you sure?" asked the boy, still regarding Link with a sceptical expression.

"Yes," said Link.

Navi shook her head, not sure if they could afford the time for such silliness. The faerie did not understand the Kokiri. She watched as the boy gave Link a brief explanation about the rules and the two prepared. Within moments, the boy nodded and Link focused on a particular rock. Koji stood behind the rock and began to call instructions as he tossed large seeds at Link. Link surprised both Navi and the other boy with his agility and speed. He successfully dodged everything thrown at him whilst remaining focused on the large rock. They finished after several minutes.

"That's impressive. Anything else?" asked the boy as he fished a blue rupee out of a pouch on his hip.

"I guess I do have something," said Link as he accepted the blue rupee.

Link took a deep breath and focused on the stone again. He closed his eyes and stood motionless. Navi was about to ask Link what was going on when he moved. Link quickly crouched down, jumped up, and threw his weight backwards over his head. The result was a smooth backwards flip. The boy whistled in amazement as Link landed with a grunt. Navi was again surprised to see how agile Link seemed to be.

"I'll have to ask the boys about that. Be right back," said the boy as he hurried towards the nearby house.

"What good is a shield going to do anyway?" asked Navi.

"I don't know," said Link. Navi huffed.

"Hurry up and figure it out," said Navi as she floated around impatiently. Link's mind again drifted to a thought he did not want to admit. The boy returned after several moments.

"We talked it over and you get ten rupees for the back flip," said the boy, reluctantly handing Link a yellow rupee.

"Thanks," said Link with a smile. Link heard Navi mutter something and headed back down the small hill toward Kokiri Forest.

"Okay, what about this shield?" asked Navi.

"We have fifteen rupees already," said Link as they started on the path away from the training area.

"You need more than that?" asked Navi. "Where are you going to get them?"

"Mido has some rupees," said Link as he glanced around the immediate area.

"You're going to steal?" asked Navi with a surprised expression.

"Not so loud! And I'm going to put it back," said Link as he made his way across the path towards Mido's house.

There was another Kokiri boy cleaning away rocks near the front of the house. He looked at Link with a raised eyebrow. Link smiled at the boy and continued into Mido's house. The other boy simply went back to work. Mido's house was not very impressive. One thing managed to catch Link's eye. A small chest sat in the corner.

"Hurry up!" urged Navi.

Link nodded, kicked the chest open and grabbed out a blue rupee. He hurried out of the house. Link did not even try to explain to the boy outside. He simply ran to the store. Navi realised it was the first place she flew past. The girl still sat on the roof. She smiled and waved when she saw Link. Link waved back before darting into the store. The Kokiri store was simple. There was the counter, a few shelves here and there, and the storekeeper. He stood behind the counter and seemed bored.

"Welcome," said the storekeeper when Link approached the counter. Link tossed his rupees onto the counter.

"I want a Deku Shield," said Link.

The shopkeeper went to a shelf behind the counter and grabbed what looked to Navi like nothing more than a large piece of bark. Link sighed as he received the shield, not even sure of how to properly use it. Link nodded to the shopkeeper and ran back out the door before hearing about the rental policies. The shopkeeper shook his head and shared a glance with the girl in the shop.

Link exited the shop and prepared to talk to Mido again. However, he noticed Saria waving him towards her house. He glanced at Navi before rushing over to his friend. The faerie gave an exasperated sigh but followed close behind. When Link got near Saria, she motioned for him to follow and disappeared into her house. Link obeyed and entered with Navi not far behind. Link always liked Saria's house because it smelled like cinnamon and always felt warm. Saria stood over her table and looked down at something, not turning to Link as he walked in. The boy hesitated but then approached the girl.

"Link, I have something for you," said Saria quietly as Link stepped next to her.

The boy looked down on the table and could not believe his eyes. Lying on the table, partially wrapped in a white cloth, was a blue sheath. An orange handle and red hilt stuck out. Link's eyes widened as he looked at Saria. The girl smiled and put her hands on the item.

"This is the Kokiri Sword, Link," said Saria. Navi could feel the faerie magic present in the small sword.

"Where did you ..." Link trailed off, amazed that Saria had such a thing.

"I found it deep in the Lost Woods near a special meadow," said Saria. "Link, I think I found it so I could give it to you."

"What?" asked Link as he looked down at the sword again.

"That's what I feel. Please take it so you can see the Deku Tree," said Saria.

"Are you sure?" asked Link. Saria nodded with a smile as she finished removing the white cloth.

"I've kept it hidden, waiting until the time was right," said Saria.

Link nodded and picked up the sword, testing its weight in his hands. It felt exactly like a sword designed for the Kokiri. Saria smiled again and motioned for Link to get going. The boy nodded and rushed out of the house. Instead of carrying it in his hand, Link slung the sheath over his shoulder and fastened it in place. Navi tilted her head to one side.

"Do you even know how to use that?" asked the faerie.

"Nope but it's not like I'll ever really be using a sword anyway. I just need this to get Mido out of my way," said Link as he and Navi approached the boy in question.

"I said if you want to see the Great Deku Tree you should at least get some equipment," Mido growled.

"Are you blind?" asked Navi. Mido turned his head to the side and noticed Link holding something. Mido's face turned sour.

"Eh, what's that? Oh, you have a Deku Shield."

"Yes," said Link as he arranged it so one of the shield's hand straps fit over the sheath on his back.

"And what's that?" asked Mido as his eyes grew large. "Is that the Kokiri Sword?"

"Yes," said Link. Mido's face twisted in anger.

"Good grief!" said Mido beginning to tap his foot rapidly again.

"Now let me through."

"Well, even with all of that stuff a wimp is still a wimp, huh? I, the Great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!" said Mido.

"Just let me through," said Link.

It was now well after noon and Navi could sense that the Great Deku Tree was almost gone. Mido began to grumble. He knew he could do nothing more to stop Link from getting to the Great Deku Tree. He could not figure out was how Link got the sword. He determined to ask around and see what mischief Link committed.

"Shoot! How did you get to be the favourite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree?" asked Mido. He mumbled and grumbled but got out of the way.

"Finally," said Navi as she zipped down the passageway. Link ran after her.


	4. Chapter III: Inside the Deku Tree

**Chapter III: Inside the Deku Tree**

Navi was almost to the Great Deku Tree's meadow when she realised Link was not with her. She huffed in irritation and turned around. Link was jogging through the winding passage. He came to a stop when he saw Navi flying towards him.

"Now what?" asked Link.

"Just come on," said Navi as she rolled her eyes. Link continued walking down the passage with Navi flying around his head.

"I noticed something," said Link.

"What?" asked Navi.

"Guardian faeries are white," said Link as he glanced up at Navi.

"Yeah," said Navi as she began to panic. She realised Link was onto her lie.

"You're a blue faerie," said Link with a casual tone.

Navi tired to think of an excuse but none came to her. Link continued walking down the passageway when something flew up from under the ground and knocked him over. Link fell onto his back, the breath knocked out of him. He coughed loudly and rolled onto his stomach. Navi flew down to his face to see if he was all right.

"Are you okay?" asked Navi. Link nodded and coughed again.

"I think. What was that?" asked Link as he stood and turned. Not more than five steps in front of him was a tall purple flower. Its long, thorny stalk reminded Link of the Deku branches he had seen in the forest.

"That's a Deku Baba! It might look withered but it will hurt you if you touch it," said Navi.

"Yeah, I guessed," said Link as he looked at his elbow. There was a small cut on it and blood was beginning to seep out. Link smiled and looked for a way around the obtrusive plant.

"Just cut it down with your sword," said Navi.

"But it's not really bothering anybody," said Link with a peculiar expression as he watched the plant snap at him.

"What? It just hurt you," said Navi.

"Well, that was my fault. I should have seen it. I probably just startled it," said Link with a guilty expression.

"What?" asked Navi in shock. "Don't be such a victim."

"There must be some way around it," said Link as he continued to eye the plant.

"Just cut it down already. It's the only way and we've already wasted too much time," said Navi with an annoyed tone.

Link stood in silence for several moments, knowing the faerie was right even if he wanted to avoid fighting. He took a deep breath and grabbed the handle of the Kokiri Sword. With the sound of scraping metal, Link drew out the sword.

"This isn't too heavy. I might be able to use it," said Link as he waved the blade around.

"Just chop the thing down," said Navi as she rolled her eyes.

Link nodded and waited. The plant was still snapping at him. Link noticed that it seemed to be snapping in a rhythm. He waited, getting used to the rhythm of the plant. After several moments, Navi opened her mouth to speak. Just as she did, Link charged at the Deku Baba. He swung the sword around wildly and completely missed the plant. He did manage to make it out unharmed, however. Navi would have laughed at how clumsy Link was with a sword if the situation was not so dire. She knew there was not much time left. Link rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Come on! We have to hurry," said Navi.

Link nodded and focused again on the Deku Baba. He waited for his chance. After several more moments, Link ran it and swung the sword around again. This time he chopped into the stalk of the Deku Baba and cut off the purple bulb. The head withered away almost instantly as the stalk hardened where it stood. Link felt a small sense of pride at his accomplish but not enough to outweigh the guilt in the back of his mind.

"Hey, just grab the Deku Stick and let's go," said Navi as she flew over Link towards the Great Deku Tree.

Link sighed and pulled the stick out of the ground. With a little difficulty, Link sheathed his sword. The young boy ran down the passage and into the meadow. An awesome sight greeted his eyes as he slowed to a walk.

The meadow was easily the size of Kokiri Forest. The mighty Deku Tree, forest guardian and father of the Kokiri, stood at the opposite edge of the meadow. His roots alone took up half the clearing and his high branches stretched over at least the same distance. The Great Deku Tree was easily twice the size of Link's house. Navi flew away from Link as he stood at the entrance, staring with an agape mouth.

"Great Deku Tree ... I'm back!" said Navi.

"Oh ... Navi ... Thou hast returned ..."

Link heard a powerful, yet gentle, voice. He could not figure out if it was coming from the tree, if he was hearing it in his head, or if it was both. Link noticed leaves were falling from the high branches of the Deku Tree and the bark of the guardian was turning an ugly grey. Nevertheless, Link felt humbled to be in the presence of the forest guardian. He could feel the power of the great tree.

"Link ... welcome," said the voice. "Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee ..."

"Okay," said Link in a whisper. He could tell something was wrong.

"Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares ..."

"How did you know?" asked Link in shock. He had not told anyone about his dreams, not even Saria.

"As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it ... Verily, thou hast felt it."

Link had to admit he had a strange feeling deep down.

"Link, the time has come to test thy courage ... I have been cursed. I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage."

Link felt a knot in his stomach. His guardian, his father, was cursed and dying. Link nodded.

"Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?" asked the Deku Tree. Link sniffed away a tear and looked up at the mighty tree. He steeled his nerves.

"Yes," said Link.

Navi, who floated near the Deku Tree, was surprised to see Link answer without hesitation. The faerie realised that Link was more courageous than she had given him credit for. Suddenly, the meadow filled with the loud groaning of wood. Navi felt a fluctuation in the Deku Tree's energy. Time was short. She bit her lower lip and looked at Link. The boy simply stood and waited, as if he could not sense the guardian's energy like the other forest beings. The sound of earth shifting sounded to the Deku Tree's left, causing Link and Navi to look in alarm. Vines grew along the ground, creating a path of sorts, leading towards the base of the Deku Tree.

"Then enter brave, Link ... and thou too, Navi."

Navi was not expecting this and gasped in shock. Link began to follow the vines with a strange expression.

"Navi the faerie, thou must aid Link ... And Link, when Navi speaks listen well to her words of wisdom ..."

Link stopped walking and nodded slightly. His mind finally accepted the truth he knew since earlier that morning. Navi was not a guardian faerie and she lied to him. Link sighed and continued to walk towards his destiny. Navi winced. She knew that Link knew.

Link took a deep breath when he saw the dark hole come into view. Something chewed a large hole into the side of the Great Deku Tree. Without waiting for Navi, Link ran into the hole. He was immediately plunged into darkness. Link realised he did not run into the heartwood of the Deku Tree which meant the inside was hollow. Something was terribly wrong. Very little sunlight came in through the hole but Link squinted to try to see his surroundings. Navi flew in and her glow lit up the area. Link looked at Navi with a slightly hurt appearance.

"I'm sorry, Link. I had to get you to come with me," said Navi.

Link shook his head and turned away to look at the now light surroundings. He realised he was standing in one small patch of the inside of the Deku Tree. Thanks to Navi's glow, Link could tell the little area he was in was about the size of the interior of his house. Some distance away he could see the wood of the Deku Tree. Link knelt down and touched the ground. It was uneven and chunky like huge bite marks. Something was eating the Deku Tree from the inside.

"What's going on?" asked Link as he looked around.

He looked at the stick he held and slipped it into the other strap of the Deku Shield. Surprisingly enough, it stayed there. Link nodded as he noticed a hole in the ground only a few metres away. He walked towards it slowly, unsure of what to do. He peered over the edge and into the blackness below. Navi followed him to provide him with light. Her blue glow did little to penetrate the darkness of the hole in the ground. Link frowned and tried walking around it so he could examine the Deku Tree's heartwood.

"Watch out!" said Navi.

"What?" asked Link as he continued to walk and looked up at the faerie.

"Don't take another step," said Navi as she flew passed the boy. It was too late and Link stepped down. Link looked down when he realised he stepped into something soft and moist.

"What?" asked Link in confusion as he peered at his foot. Navi flew closer and revealed that Link stepped onto a web.

"A spider web?" asked Navi.

"Come on," said Link rather loudly as he tried to pull his foot free. The web was too sticky and it proved futile. Link thought for a moment and pulled out his sword.

"I wouldn't do that," said Navi.

"Why should I listen to you?" asked Link as he gave the faerie a sour look. Navi's glow dimmed as she sighed.

"Hey, the Deku Tree did appoint me to help you."

"So? You lied. Why should I listen to you?" asked Link.

Navi could tell from his tone that Link was hurt but refused to show it. With all his strength, Link swung the Kokiri Sword down at the web. It immediately got stuck next to his foot. Navi shook her head as Link began to yank on the sword with both hands.

"Link," began Navi. The faerie stopped short when she heard a scraping sound.

"What was that?" asked Link as he looked around.

"I don't know," said Navi with evident fear in her voice.

Link peered into the darkness but could not see anything. The scraping sounded again, only closer. Link began to pull on the sword whilst also trying to yank his foot out. He could sense something coming his way.

"Come on, come on, come on," said Link as he pulled with all of his might. The web was too strong and sticky.

"I think I better dim my glow some," said Navi as her blue aura became faint.

Link pulled again on his sword but it refused to budge. The scraping sounded again, closer and louder than before. Link began to get desperate. Navi flew closer to Link and landed on the ground near where he sat. Link looked down at her.

"Any ideas?" asked Link continuing to yank, pull, and twist his sword.

"Maybe you should start listening to me?"

"Maybe you should stop lying," said Link with a frown.

The scraping stopped and then continued at a faster rate, heading their way. Whatever it was knew Link was there. Navi flared back into brightness hoping to scare off the creature. Link pulled as hard as he could on his sword but it did not come out. With one last grunt, he yanked on his foot and it pulled free. Link fell onto his back but quickly stood.

"Link, I would advise that you run!" said Navi.

"What am I going to do?" asked Link as he realised there was really no place to run. "I need my sword."

"Link, this is too dangerous, we have to get out of here," said Navi as she frantically looked around, hoping to spot whatever made the scraping sounds.

"I promised the Deku Tree," said Link.

"Link-" began Navi as something appeared.

The creature shocked both Navi and Link. It was a twisted form of a spider, only much bigger. It stood twice the height of Link. A large red eye glared down at Link as it drew closer. The exoskeleton of the creature covered it like armour. The creature had a large mouth filled with fangs and two, long, hairy legs that had sharp pincers at the ends. Link cried in terror as Navi began to panic.

"What is it?" asked Link as he tried to back away. The creature snapped its jaws and began to advance. Link noticed something stuck between the joints of one of the creature's legs.

"Link, be careful! That thing could definitely kill you," said Navi.

"Oh really? I thought I'd just have a friendly chat with him," said Link as he pulled the Deku Stick off his back. The creature did not seem amused and advanced. Link gripped the stick firmly in his left hand and raised it up. The monster turned its ugly head to one side, questioning Link's action. The creature drew close to Link. It tried to grab him.

"Watch out!" said Navi. Link dove out of the way and slammed his head into the wall.

Link shook his head as he quickly righted himself. He realised he dropped the stick and now had no weapon. Link looked around desperately and saw the stick lying just underneath the monster. The creature made another swing for Link. The boy rolled forward and grabbed the stick as the pincers swung over his head. He was now under the belly of the monster. Navi literally bit her fingernails as she watched.

The creature looked around, confused. It felt something brush against its stomach. It looked down with its red eye and saw Link grab his stick. Link turned in time to see the monster peering at him. He did the first thing that came to mind. He kicked it. The monster let out a growl as it stumbled back. Link stood up and readied his stick. The monster turned and glared at Link with its red eye and snapping jaws. The monster advanced and made to bite at Link. The youth ducked out of the way. However, his stick did not make it. Link watched in horror as the monster's jaws bit the Deku Stick in half.

"Link, get out of there!" said Navi in a panicked tone.

Link looked at the end of his stick. It was sharp and pointed. Link looked back at the creature. It made to bite at him again. Link closed his eyes and thrust the stick forward. He felt his arm jar and liquid spray onto him. He opened his eyes and wished he had not. The stick was stuck into the creature's eye. Blood and vitreous humour splattered from the wound. Link let go of the stick. It remained stuck in the monster's eye. The creature cried in pain and stumbled around, wildly swinging its legs. All it managed, however, was to dislodge the item from between its joints. Link nearly threw-up right away. He closed his eyes and looked away.

"Guh," said Link as he wiped the fluid off his face.

Navi watched as the creature fell onto its side and writhed on the ground. The monster lost too much vital fluid and was dying. Link continued to wipe the thick, sticky liquid off his face. The creature gurgled and fell limp. Link coughed and the creature's screeching stopped.

"Are you okay?" asked Navi. Link did not speak as he felt his stomach twisting. Navi was about to ask again after a few moments when Link answered.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Link before turning and vomiting onto the nearby wall. Navi cringed and looked away. It was a horrific sight. She almost threw up too. Link finished and wiped his mouth off.

"Well..." began Navi but she did not know what to say. Link was only ten, almost eleven, and lived through such a traumatic experience.

"I guess I have a slingshot now," said Link as he sniffed and looked on the ground.

Navi had to wonder where the slingshot came from as Link picked it up. The faerie nodded and gave the dead creature one last look. Fluids still seeped out from its eye socket. She cringed again and realised Link was slowly making his way back towards his sword. Link stuffed the slingshot into one of his pockets. How it got stuck in the creature's leg is another story.

"Navi, what exactly am I looking for?" asked Link as he stood over the hole in the ground. His sudden break in silence startled the faerie and she squeaked in surprise.

"Uh, I'm not sure exactly but that creature seemed familiar. Maybe that's what you're looking for," said Navi.

Link nodded and looked around again. It was a dead-end, except the small hole in the ground. Link frowned as he looked back over to his sword. The boy noticed the web covered another, larger hole in the ground. This one also disappeared into darkness. It was impossible to tell how far down it went. Nevertheless, the only place to go was down and the hole under the web looked large enough for Link to fit through. He walked over and peered at it. Navi floated around his head, unsure of how to proceed. Link frowned as he began to examine the edges of the web. After several moments, Link stood and walked around the hole. Navi raised her eyebrows, wondering what Link was thinking. Without a word, Link stepped away from the web and furrowed his brow in concentration.

"What are you doing?" asked Navi when she noticed Link's expression take on determination.

"I'm going down that hole," said Link as he continued to frown at the web.

"What? Are you insane? You're just going to get stuck like your sword did," said Navi as she shook her head.

"It'll break," said Link as he shifted position to get a running start at the web.

"Link, that's a bad idea," said Navi as she bit her lower lip.

"There's nothing else to do," said Link and started for the web.

"Hey!" said Navi as Link rushed passed.

Link ran as fast as he could in the short distance. When he reached the edge of the web, he jumped as high as he could and aimed himself for what he thought was the centre of the web. The webbing bowed under Link's weight before springing back up. Link's mind raced as he began to fear he would be stuck there. However, the web bounced back down with a loud snapping sound. As the web gave way, Link felt himself falling down the dark hole. He heard Navi shout something and saw he blue glow racing after him. He had no way of knowing what was ahead as he plummeted into the dark. Link braced himself to hit the ground. After falling for what felt like an eternity, Link felt pain tear into his body as he slammed into water. He began to sink as his head reeled. He blacked out.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean 'The Deku Tree is dying'? How can you say that?" asked Saria, fighting back tears.<p>

Her faerie began to feel something shortly after Link left. The small faerie realised something was wrong and it had to do with the Great Deku Tree. Of course, all the other guardian faeries realised this too and the Kokiri began to get upset. Everyone except Mido stood in a circle near the centre of Kokiri Forest.

"Just what I said. Something bad happened to the Great Deku Tree," said Saria's faerie. Immediately, the other Kokiri began to question their faeries and each other.

"What does this mean?"

"What can we do?"

"How?"

"Why is this happening?"

"What is going on?"

It was pure chaos. All Kokiri talked at once and most of the faeries tried to calm their partners. Things were getting out of hand until a certain Kokiri boy came from the direction of the Great Deku Tree.

"Mido! Did you see him?" asked a Kokiri.

"What did you do?" asked another Kokiri.

"Hold it! What's going on?" asked Mido as he raised his eyebrow. His faerie sat down on his shoulder with a sigh. As Saria wiped a tear from her eye, Mido knew something serious was happening.

"The Great Deku Tree is in trouble," said Saria

"What?" asked Mido as his eyes bulged out of his head.

"I can't believe it either," said Saria with a sniffle. Mido looked furious and sad at the same time.

"I can't believe it! I don't believe it. Link did this!" said Mido.

"Mido! How could you say that?" asked Saria as she looked at Mido in shock.

Saria looked around when she heard the murmuring of the Kokiri. They all seemed to think Link was responsible. Saria could not believe what she heard. Tears began to stream down her face.

"The Great Deku Tree probably called Link to help. Link is probably helping," said Saria. The Kokiri ignored her. Saria shook her head as tears continue to flow. She ran back to her house with her faerie following close behind. Mido watched her go.

"I'm going to go and wait for that faerie-less traitor! I'll be at the entrance if anyone needs me," said Mido as he headed back towards the entrance.

It was now that a tear formed in his eye. He was very saddened by the news. As much as the Kokiri did not want to believe it, they could also feel the Great Deku Tree was about to die. Every forest being could feel as their great guardian died, as his power and energy drained away.

* * *

><p>Link slowly opened his eyes some time later. He felt wet, cold and very sore. He groaned loudly as he coughed up some water. The air around him was thick with moisture. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position as his head throbbed. He felt dizzy as he looked around. He sat on a pile of wet sand. A stream of some kind flowed from a channel on Link's right. It flowed away towards Link's left and disappeared into another channel. The stream cut through the stone floor around where Link sat. Link frowned and looked at the stream, noticing it was easily deeper than he was tall. He realised he fell into it and the gentle current pulled him onto the small sandbar.<p>

He slowly stood as his head continued to throb. It was quite an experience to fall like that but Link did want to try it again. Link shivered slightly and climbed onto the floor to his right. He began to wonder where he was as he peered through the dim light. Link sighed and prepared to sit when he tripped on something. Just before falling face first into the ground, Link threw out his hands and caught himself. Link looked at what he tripped on as he righted himself. It was some sort of raised square in the floor. As Link frowned at it, a blue glow flooded his field of vision.

"Link, don't be so stupid next time. It's a miracle you're alive after that stunt," said Navi as she began to orbit Link's head.

"Where are we?" asked Link as he frowned at the faerie's comment.

"Seems like those spider things dug into a natural spring that the Deku Tree feeds from," said Navi as she looked around.

Link nodded and looked around again. He was able to see better thanks to Navi's soft blue glow. Link shivered slightly as he realised there was a faint light source coming from above him. Strange branches and vines covered the ceiling of the strange room and even crawled along the walls. With a shocked expression, Link realised he was looking at the Deku Tree's roots. They provided the faint glow. Link marvelled for several moments before walking along the floor next to the stream. He noticed something glisten in Navi's blue glow. Just as he made to move closer and examine it, Link felt himself knocked to the ground again.

"Oh, that's just what I needed," said Link as he rolled over and looked at the Deku Baba snapping at him.

"Are you okay?" asked Navi with genuine concern in her voice.

Link still felt betrayed by her earlier lying and he did not feel he could get along with her. He waved his hand at Navi and felt a sharp pain in his side. He sucked air through his teeth before sniffing loudly and standing.

"He's blocking my way and I don't have anything to cut it down with," said Link with a frown.

"Why do you want to go that way?" asked Navi.

"Can't you see what's behind that web?" asked Link in mock surprise.

Navi sighed and flew closer to get a better look. She noticed a door of some kind behind the web. She stared at it in shock for several moments. She zipped back towards Link, only to find him again examining the strange square sticking out of the floor.

"Now what?" asked Navi.

"Don't you know everything?" asked Link without even looking at the faerie.

He was clearly more interested in the small square. Someone carved a strange marking into the top of it, meaning it served some purpose. Navi ignored Link's comment as she looked around the immediate area. More webs covered the walls around them but the faerie noticed something strange behind one. It appeared to be a golden stand of some sort. Navi could not figure out what it was.

"Link, what do you think that is?" asked Navi as she pointed to the golden object.

Link simply frowned as he looked at it. He stared for some time before looking back down at the square. Navi waited for Link to say something but the boy simply stood over the square and frowned. After several impatient moments of orbiting Link's head, Navi could not help but feel like they were wasting time.

"Link, come on," said Navi with an irritated tone.

Link ignored her again, causing Navi to huff and shake her head. Link put his hand on the square in the ground and pushed down. When nothing happened he narrowed his eyes and stood over it. Without hesitating, Link jumped onto the square. At first, nothing happened but then the square sank into the ground with a dull bang. Immediately, the top of the golden stand exploded and flames consumed the nearby webbing. Link and Navi stared in awe as the fire danced on the top of the torch.

"Warmth!" said Link as he moved close to the torch and held his cold hands up to the fire.

"That's pretty rash, Link. That switch could have killed you," said Navi.

"But it didn't," said Link as he rubbed his hands together.

"But it could have. You should be less reckless," said Navi.

"And you should be less bothersome," said Link with a sour expression.

Navi simply shook her head and looked around the now well-lit room. It was clearly some kind of chamber cut from stone. Who could have built it was a mystery. Navi frowned as she looked around. She noticed something shimmer under the surface of the water by the sandbar. She flew closer to examine it.

"Hey, I think I found something," said Navi.

"What?" asked Link as he turned to look at the faerie.

"That," said Navi as she hovered over the water and pointed.

Link frowned and looked at the water. He spotted something reflecting the torchlight, something made of metal. Link reluctantly left the warmth of the fire and stepped over the edge of the water. He stared in shock for a moment before stooping down and reaching into the water. After a brief struggle, Link freed the object from the mud and pulled it out for Navi to see.

"It's the Kokiri Sword," said Link with a smile as he slid it back into its sheath.

"Hey, you can by that Deku Baba now," said Navi as she glanced over to where the plant hid.

"No, I'm going to try and get warm and dry first," said Link as he walked back over to the torch and held his hands out again.

"Link, we're in a hurry here," said Navi with an impatient tone.

"You fight it then," said Link.

"It would probably eat me," said Navi with a frown.

"So?"

"Hey! Come on now. We're stuck together until you break the curse. You might as well make the best of it and stop being such a child," said Navi, her voice rising.

"But I am a child," said Link.

"Din sake, stop being such a brat," said Navi as she shook her head.

"I'm cold, let me get warm first," said Link, his voice also rising.

"You should think of others first sometime," said Navi.

"I don't see you risking your life to help anyone," said Link with an angered tone.

"Of course I'm here risking my life too," said Navi as her glow flared into an angered brightness.

"You're only here because you have to be," said Link.

"You're impossible!" said Navi.

"Maybe I'd be easier to get along with if you weren't always yelling at me and calling me names," said Link.

"Well obviously you don't want me around anyway," said Navi.

"So go," said Link.

"No wonder you never got a faerie," said Navi before flying back up the hole.

Link watched her go with a blank expression. He sniffed again, only this time it was not from being cold.


	5. Chapter IV: Underneath the Deku Tree

**Chapter IV: Underneath the Deku Tree**

"I guess I have to do this alone," said Link with a heavy sigh. Link walked towards the hidden door. The Deku Baba exploded out of the ground when Link stepped close. It snapped at the young boy. Link watched it for some time.

"I'm sorry but you're blocking my way and I have to help the Deku Tree," said Link as he pulled out the Kokiri Sword.

He remembered what happened with the last Deku Baba he faced and the horrible images of his fight with the spider creature flashed in his head. Link took a deep breath and waited to strike. He saw the moment and attacked. With a swift swing of his sword, Link cut the purple bulb in half. The plant seemed to wobble back and forth. The youth watched it for a moment before finishing it by cutting the bulb completely off the stalk.

"Well, now I just need to get through that web," said Link as he frowned.

There was no reason for him to speak. He only did it to help himself not feel so alone. That was one, dark fact Link had trouble coping with. At least with Navi he had a steady light and, even with the arguing, a companion. Now that she was gone he felt completely alone, cut off from everyone. Link looked at the dead Deku Baba as another small wave of guilt washed over him. He sighed and pulled out the stalk, slipping the Deku Stick behind the Kokiri Sword. Link sniffed and looked around.

"I'm lost," said Link as he looked around.

He was unsure of what to do next. He and Navi seemed to be a good team, even though they bickered most of the time. Link's thoughts drifted back and forth. He sat down on the bank as he realised he had mixed thoughts and feelings about Navi. The young boy sat and stared at the web blocking the door. He did not know how much time passed but an idea slowly began to form.

Link jumped up and headed over to the torch. He still did not know why there was a torch there. He was under the Deku Tree in some strange room near an underground spring. Link could see something was wrong with the mighty forest guardian because many of the roots were grey and chewed. Link figured he was heading in the right direction after all. The youth pulled out his Deku Stick as he approached the torch. He took a deep breath. He only had one Deku Stick and one chance. Deku Sticks, every Kokiri knew, were incredibly flammable. They set on fire easily and burned rapidly. Link could only hope the web would do the same.

Link was not sure what was going to happen. Link swung the stick into the path of the flames and the tip burst into an eerie orange glow. With flames trailing and smoke streaming off the end, Link swung the stick once to ensure it would not go out. He ran as fast as he dared and carefully made his way across the sandbar. Hoping onto the other side, Link realised the stick was almost gone. He would not have noticed except his hands were getting warmer. It was going to be close.

Link grit his teeth and sprinted towards the web. This was his one chance. Right as the flames reached his hands, he stuck the stick into the thick web. Immediately the angry fire swept from the Deku Stick to the web and consumed the silky wall in Link's way. Link watched as the web melted and burned away. He now had a clear path to the strange door. When the smoke cleared, Link took a breath and stepped forward.

The way the door opened disturbed Link. He was examining it when it slowly groaned and moved up. Deciding not to take a chance, Link ducked through. He immediately regretted it. The place was dark, damp and had a strange smell to it. Link squinted. The little light offered by the small opening in the door provided poor visibility. Link could not make out any details about the room. He could only surmise the wall to his right curved away from him. He slowly began to make his way in when the door began to close. Link almost ran back through but something inside told him to stay. He somehow knew he was going the right direction. With a deep breath, Link turned back and faced the darkness.

Evil thoughts instantly plagued his mind as the door slowly slid down. He had flashbacks of his dreams as fear began to overtake him. He almost thought the eyes would appear or the huge, black beast and rider would come out of the darkness. What did come out, however, was something almost as terrible. It was another spider creature. Link froze as the monster appeared in front of him. There was not enough light to make out much more than what was right in front of him. The spider let out a hiss and opened its jaws to bite at Link.

The youth reacted quickly and blindly leapt into the blackness to his left. As he dodged, Link tried to pull out his sword and shield. With some effort, Link held both in his hands. The door slammed shut and only a thin line of light showed at the bottom. Link could not see where the creature was but he was sure the spider could see in the dark. Link swallowed and held his breath. He cowered behind his shield.

Before he knew what was happening, Link was falling backwards and pain was lancing through his arm. He grunted as he hit the ground and slid backwards. Link was almost to tears from fear of this strange monster he could not even see. The young boy did not stay down long. Link sat up and felt around for his shield. Suddenly, light began to fill the room. Link's mind did not comprehend what happened.

_That's it. I've died. I'm dead. I've died and I'm dead. That blow must have killed me and now I'm going to the afterlife._

This thought only ran through Link's head for a few seconds before he realised what was going on. The creature was busy swinging at a ball of floating blue light. The room filled with a glowing light. Link had to close his eyes for a moment to let them adjust to the sudden brightness but he opened them, able to clearly see. His shield was on the ground some two or three metres in front of him. Link's mind snapped into attention.

"Navi!" said Link. He held his sword and gathered his shield as Navi led the creature away from Link.

"Link, this would be a good time to use that sword!" said Navi, zipping out of the way of the jaws of the beast.

Link nodded and took a swing at the monster. It missed completely but the creature's attention was now back on Link. It hissed and snarled. Link tried to hide behind his shield again. His right arm throbbed and he was still short-winded from the earlier blow. The creature took a bite at Link but he nimbly jumped out of the way. Navi began to float near Link.

"How can I kill this thing?" asked Link as he dodged another attack.

"Go for its eye! I know what these are!" said Navi as she dimmed her glow back to normal.

Link nodded and turned to see the creature swinging its stinger at him. Link raised his shield and the appendage collided with the Deku Shield. Link's arm jarred even more and this time he cried in pain. Link groaned as tears welled up. The shield fell from his hand. Navi saw how Link's arm was swollen and bruised. The creature hissed again. It snapped its jaws and began to advance on Link. The boy looked up and fear overtook him. He froze again. His arm was hurt, he dropped his shield, and he had nowhere to run. There was nothing else to do.

"Link!" said Navi with evident panic in her voice.

Just as the monster began to bite at Link's neck, the young boy ducked to one side and rolled over his shoulder. The monster advanced too far in its attack and could not stop. It harmlessly went passed Link. Link spun his sword around and drove it into the back of the creature's neck. There was a sick crunch as the sword passed through a slit in the monster's armour. Link winced as the creature hissed in pain. It was a terrible sound. Navi was stunned and simply watched. Link pulled out his sword and retreated a few steps. The strange creature was now mortally wounded. If Link could stay away long enough it would die without the need for more fighting.

Nevertheless, the creature seemed more angry than hurt. It lunged at Link again. This time Link fell onto his back and kicked his feet up. He sent the creature crashing into the wall just next to the door. A loud cracking sound shook the room as the creature hit the wall. Link could see the plating on the monster breaking off in a flood of blood. The wall snapped and the door came back open. More light filled the chamber. Link glanced at Navi and then looked back at the creature. It was struggling to get onto its feet. Link pulled out his slingshot and loaded several pebbles from the floor. He took aim and let loose. The small, hard projectiles crashed into the monsters face and eye and the creature writhed around in pain. Link took a deep breath and wiped his brow.

"At least this time it's not going to send bloody juices everywhere. I don't think I could handle that again," said Link, looking away from the creature.

The monster gave one last cry and fell silent. Its body jerked violently as the nerves continued to work even though the monster was dead. Navi stared in shock. Link stood motionless for several moments before sheathing his sword. He gently cradled his right arm with his left.

"Are ... are you okay?" asked Navi as she flew towards Link.

"It really hurts. I think it's broken," said Link as he looked down at his arm.

"No, it's not broken. Come on, you need to put it in the water back in the other tunnel to stop the swelling," said Navi as she led Link towards the now broken wall and door. Link averted his eyes from the carcass of the creature.

"Navi, why'd you come back?" asked Link after several moments of silence. Navi remained quiet for a short time.

"I'm sorry, Link. What I said and what I did was really mean. I overreacted and was rude to you. You're in here trying to save the Great Deku Tree."

"Well, I was exactly the easiest to get along with," said Link with a slight smile.

"And I'm sorry about lying to you in the first place. I just really needed you to come with me and that was the only way," said Navi. By now, both of them were talking with quiet voices. Link kneeled down in front of the water with Navi orbiting around his head.

"That's okay. But, why did you come back?" asked Link as he lowered his arm into the cold water. It soothed his throbbing arm.

"Well ..." began Navi. The faerie was unsure of what to say. Several moments of silence passed.

"Well, I flew back up the hole and realised I was making a mistake. The Deku Tree asked me to help you," said Navi. Link nodded but then stopped and looked around the room with a concerned expression.

"He's dying. We have to hurry," said Link with a grave tone as he rushed back to the second room. Navi flew after him, shocked that Link seemed to be so courageous.

When the faerie came back into the room there was enough light for Link to see. A simple round room went up into the Deku Tree's underside thanks to the creatures. There were many bite marks going up and a web covering the holes. After that, it was black and Link could not see. He only hoped another creature was not hiding above the webs. He looked around with a sigh. There was the door he came in and no other entrance or exit. It was a dead-end. Navi flew around the room.

"Well, that makes no sense. Why would a hidden room have nothing to hide?" asked Navi.

She was obviously flustered. Link frowned and looked around again. Something caught the corner of his eye. It was quite high on the wall and on the opposite side of the room as the now destroyed door. He peered to get a closer look. He could not figure out what it was. There was not enough light.

"Navi, will you fly up there and see what that is?" asked Link as he pointed.

Navi looked up and stared for a moment before zipping up to it. She frowned at what she saw. It was a strange, grey diamond with a circle in its centre. She had to stare at it for a moment to see what it was.

"It's an eye, I think," said Navi as she floated near it and tried to figure out what it was for.

_Ffft! Whack!_

Something flew dangerously close to Navi. At first, she thought it was another fairy until she saw it slam into the centre of the strange, grey eye and explode. It happened so quick that she had no time to be startled. Link frowned when nothing happened. Navi turned and was about to ask what happened when she heard the strange sound of stone clicking shut. She turned back to the object and could not believe the eye was closed. Link let out a laugh as a small rumble went through the room. A section of the wall opened up. Navi flew down and met Link at the new doorway.

"What was that?" asked Navi as they entered the doorway.

"Well, I shot the eye. I couldn't really hold it steady because my arm still hurts. Sorry if I almost hit you," said Link as he looked around the new room.

They stood at the end of what seemed to be a long room. There was a strange noise as if some great shaft was cranking. Link peered through the dim light to the other side of the room.

"Why did you shoot the eye? What was it?" asked Navi.

"Well, according to Kokiri lore, the ancient Kokiri made special switches in the likeness of an eye. You have to shoot them to operate them," said Link.

"Why an eye?" asked Navi as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. I think it had something to do with the moon," said Link as he started into the room.

"What is this place?" asked Link as he looked around with a frown.

Navi was also confused. The channel of water continued through this room, cutting the floor in half. The water appeared to be much deeper in this room. The other side of the room seemed so far away. There was no way they could cross the water without swimming.

"Well, there's water down there. I bet you could find something interesting," said Navi casually.

Link shrugged and began to unstrap his gear. He put all of his equipment down and took off his cap. His flowing blonde locks fell around his face. Navi noticed and realised Link had very nice hair. His hair was almost regal. Link sighed and walked over to the edge of the platform.

"Okay, let's go for a swim," said Link as he pulled off his boots. He wiggled his toes and prepared to dive in. Navi shook her head.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't just go jumping in there. You don't know what else is down there," said Navi.

"We have to save the Deku Tree and there isn't much time. I can't afford to worry about what else may be lurking here. I have an important task to do," said Link before diving in.

Navi marvelled at Link. He really was different from the other Kokiri. Navi thought he seemed like he should be nobility or even royalty. After the splash and rush of water Navi flew down to the water. Link's head broke the surface.

"This water is freezing!" said Link as his teeth chattered together.

Link swam around for a few moments not accomplishing anything. He frowned and looked around. The ledge at the opposite end of the room was too high for him to reach. There was nothing to do. He trended for some time as he thought. There had to be some way to get across. Navi hovered just above the water, her glow reflecting of the surface.

"Maybe this was a waste of time," said Navi. Link sighed and turned. He had to find another way. Something caught his eye.

"What is that?" Link asked pointing down.

His arm was under the water so it was hard for Navi to see exactly where he was pointing. Navi stared at the murky water for several moments but could not see anything. The faerie shrugged as Link dove beneath the surface once again. Navi had no idea how deep the water was but it was clearly deep enough to cover Link's head. After several moments of silence, Navi heard a strange grinding noise. The water level began to rise. Link broke the surface of the water with fear in his eyes. He gasped for air.

"Move!"

Link swam as fast as he could towards the shore. A strange creature appeared near the surface just behind Link. Navi stared in shock. It was some kind of large, skeletal fish. It closed in on Link at tremendous speed. Its mouth was full of row after row of jagged teeth. Navi realised she knew what the horrible creature was. Link continued to swim as fast as he could.

"Link, get out of there! That's a Desbreko!" said Navi as she frantically flew near the swimming boy.

Link was out of breath and he was still at least five metres from shore. The Desbreko was almost close enough to bite his foot. The monster's mouth was large enough to sheer Link's foot off in one bite. Link continued to swim. The monster continued to chase him. Link got within arm's length of the edge when the creature snapped its jaws shut. The Desbreko's massive teeth tore a chunk out of Link's left calf. Link screamed so loudly the noise echoed for some time. Finally, Link pulled himself onto the shore and out of harm's way. The Desbreko continued to swim around, waiting for Link to return to the water. Link's eyes were tearing and he was grunting in pain and agony as he tenderly held his leg near the wound.

"Oh no! Link! Link, are you alright?" asked Navi.

She flew down next to Link's face, which twisted in pain. Link lay on his right side cringing and writhing in pain. Navi grimaced and turned away. It hurt her to see Link in so much pain. She looked back at the water. There was a red cloud in it. It was Link's blood.

"Navi," said Link in a hoarse whisper.

He continued to rock slowly back and forth. He had to do something. He was bleeding profusely. The blood poured out, staining the ground red. Navi could not think of anything to do. The faerie frantically scanned the room with her eyes. She had to come up with a solution or Link would die.

"Hold on!" said Navi.

Link groaned loudly. Fiery pain shot up his leg and through his entire body. Link's body shook. He was wet and cold. His life's blood was streaming out onto the ground. Through the tears in his eyes, Link felt himself slowly dying.

"Link!" said Navi.

Link groaned softly, now too weak from blood lose. Navi sighed deeply, knowing of only one way to save Link. It required her risking her life. If she went too far, she would die. If she did not go far enough, Link would not heal properly. The faerie floated down to Link's face, determining it was worth the risk to save the Deku Tree. Link opened his eyes and looked at Navi with a tired expression. The faerie stared into Link's intense, blue eyes.

"Hold on," said Navi.

She took a deep breath and began to fly back and forth over Link's body. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her blue glow flared into brightness as light began to stream onto Link. Link suddenly felt warmth all over his body. He heard a strange twinkling noise. Navi's glow increased as she continued to do laps around Link's body. Link felt his strength returning and the cold grip of death leaving him. Navi began to slow down. Light and sparkles seemed to be pooling off her and saturating Link's body. The boy felt the muscles and tissues of his leg reconnecting. Finally, after a few moments of Navi's strange behaviour, the faerie stopped. She looked and sounded exhausted. Her glow was dim and her breathing ragged. Navi slowly settled onto the ground near Link's head.

"We'll be fine," said Navi in whisper before passing out.

Link's eyes slowly opened and sat up to look around. Nothing changed but the Desbreko was not in sight. Link looked for Navi. He spotted her on the ground next to him, her glow dim.

"Navi?" asked Link, cradling the faerie in his hands.

One of her delicate, gossamer wings twitched. For the first time Link got a good look at what Navi really looked like. He realised she was not just a flying ball of light. Navi had long, curly, blue hair that fell down to the small of her back. She wore a piece of white cloth to cover her chest. It fell just short of covering her midriff. Link noticed there was no back to the material. Instead, it was held in place by two straps across her back between her wings. Navi wore another piece of white cloth around her waist that fell halfway down her thigh. She wore no shoes. Navi's skin was white with a pale blue hue and appeared to be the source of her glow. Link stared at the faerie for several moments, awestruck by her ethereal beauty. Navi had very feminine features and appeared to be only a few years older than Link. Link watched as Navi's glow returned to normal and she slowly opened her eyes, revealing the same blue as her hair.

"Ugh, Link?" said Navi.

"Navi, are you okay?" asked Link with genuine concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Navi as she stood and shook her wings. Link could not help but smile. Several moments of silence passed as Navi checked herself over.

"What did you do?" asked Link with a slight frown as he looked at his leg. The wound was healed and only an ugly scar remained.

"It was faerie magic. I've never done it before," said Navi with a slight smile as she floated up from Link's hand.

Link nodded and took another look around. He frowned at the murky water. The Desbreko was lurking somewhere. It was simply impossible for Link to cross the water and find out where the room led. Link sighed and stood, shivering slightly from the dampness of his clothes. Link began to recollect his things and strap on his boots. With a last look at the opposite end of the room, he turned to the door they came in. Navi regarded Link differently as she looked at him. His clothes were now stained with blood and dirt from the horrible trials he endured. Yet, the young boy still pressed on, devoting himself to his task.

"I guess this is a dead end," said Navi as they headed towards the door.

"Unless you get me some magical boots that let me walk on water," said Link with a slight chuckle. Navi laughed too. It was a joke they both needed to ease the tension. They both knew boots like that did not exist.

"My wings are getting tired. I think I need to rest," said Navi with a slight frown.

"You can sleep on my head if you want," said Link after a moment of silence.

"What?" asked Navi, surprised by the offer.

"So you don't have to sleep on the ground," said Link with a slight shrug as they returned to the stone chamber with the strange, gold torch.

Navi smiled as Link pulled off his cap and stuffed it into one of his pockets. Navi floated down and landed on Link's soft hair. Link hardly noticed her tiny body as she sat on his head. Navi smiled again and reclined on a lock of Link's blond hair. The two seemed to be building an actual friendship.

"Hey, Link, what are you going to do after this?" asked Navi as Link looked around the room.

"I don't know. Probably try to get back to a normal life, even if I didn't ever really have one. Why?"

"Well, it's just that this was kind of fun. Maybe we could spend some time together when this is over," said Navi, blushing slightly.

"What?" asked Link after a moment of confused silence.

"Well, I know we've had our differences and we haven't always gotten along, but we're friends now, right? Well I thought that all of this was pretty fun, I mean, ignoring the life and death stuff," said Navi.

Link took a moment to let it sink in. It appeared to him she also felt they were a good team. He did have to admit it was fun to adventure with the faerie. Maybe Link's destiny as a Kokiri was coming true. There was even a chance the Deku Tree would appoint Navi as Link's guardian faerie and he would finally become a true Kokiri.

"Yeah, you're right," said Link with a slight shrug.

Link made his way towards the other end of the room. He noticed another door he missed the first time he was in the room. He was too focused on the door behind the web and the torch. Link silently vowed to do his best to more carefully observe his surroundings before taking action. As Link headed towards the door, he realised this is what Navi was trying to tell him before. Link nodded slightly as he looked up at the underside of the Deku Tree. At that moment, he realised the Deku Tree's roots were much dimmer than before and he felt as if something shifted above his head. Link felt a strange tugging inside and could sense the Deku Tree's energy rapidly fading.

"We don't have much time left, Link," said Navi with a grave tone.

"Let's hurry then," said Link as Navi flew up from his hair.

The two rushed into the next room. It was strangely dark in the next room so Navi's glow had to provide the light. She increased her glow and lit up their immediate area. The pair could see the entire room just not well. It was another round room filled with large, orange ovals. The strange objects had strings of some kind running on their surfaces. Countless spider webs ran everywhere, especially overhead.

"There must be hundreds!" Navi said in awe.

"What are they?" asked Link as he peered at the nearest one.

"They're eggs," said Navi.

"How can we get them all?" asked Link.

After a moment of thought, Link pulled out his sword. He looked at his sword and then back at the egg. A strange thought ran through Link's mind. He killed a few creatures already but only because they were a threat to him. Now he stood ready to take a life that was yet unborn. He shook his head and lowered the Kokiri Sword. Navi raised an eyebrow as Link shook his head again.

"This isn't right," said Link.

"Link, you have to," said Navi after a few moments.

Link looked at the blue faerie and sighed. He knew she was right but it still felt wrong to Link. With another heavy sigh, Link raised his sword again. Navi watched as he held his sword high above his head and brought it down. It arced through the air with little grace but it did meet its target. With a sickening wet crunch, the sword chopped into the egg and splattered yellow, sticky juices. Link closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Navi shook her head.

"This isn't going to work. It'll take too long," said Navi.

Link frowned and nodded. It would take much too long to get all the eggs this way. Link wiped the Kokiri Sword off on the egg's casing and sheathed it with a sigh.

"How can we save the Deku Tree?" asked Link as desperation filled his voice.

He was thinking aloud more than asking Navi. The faerie frowned and looked around. Link gave a shout of frustration and sat down with a sob. He could not save the Deku Tree. There was no way he could destroy the hundreds of eggs in the room in time. He let the Deku Tree down. He let the Kokiri down. He failed. Navi watched Link sit down and start crying. There was no time left.


End file.
